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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24307462">everything is good</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickcows/pseuds/kickcows'>kickcows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Clothed Sex, Dry Humping, Emotional Roller Coaster, Falling In Love, Fluff, Grinding, Hand Jobs, Loss of Virginity, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Love, Making Out, Minor Angst, Online Friendship, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, ish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:09:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>121,073</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24307462</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickcows/pseuds/kickcows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony has bad insomnia, to the point where he winds up seeking out a group online that helps cope with it. He meets someone on the server that he immediately clicks with, and winds up sending them a DM to have a more personal conversation with them. Set after Homecoming but prior to the events of Infinity War.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>306</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone! This is going to be my first multi-chapter Starker fic. I will be updating it every Mon/Thurs for the next few weeks. I hope you'll enjoy the ride - it's going to be quite the roller coaster. :) Tags will change as the story progresses. Please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><a href="https://starkeristheendgame.tumblr.com/">Starkeristheendgame</a> made this amazing moodboard for this story. You can find the post on tumblr <a href="https://starkeristheendgame.tumblr.com/post/620033259606327296/everything-is-good-by-trashystarker-just-a-lil">here.</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><hr/>
<p>Tony sat up with a gasp, his hand going to his bare chest, trying to control the panic that was beginning to grasp his waking consciousness. His hand landed on the spot where his arc reactor should have been, but it had been taken out years ago. As the panic kept its clutches on his heart, he tried to breathe through the attack, knowing full well that that’s what it was - there was nothing actually wrong with him, even if his mind was trying to tell him something different. </p>
<p>It subsided after a few minutes, his body covered in sweat from the nightmare he’d just woken up from. If sleeping two hours could be considered actual sleep. “Friday - what time is it?” He asked, his bedroom pitch black, his chest continuing to rise and fall in the aftermath of his night terror. </p>
<p>“It’s almost 3 in the morning, boss.” Friday’s voice came through a speaker on his nightstand. </p>
<p>Wonderful. It’s still too early to get up for the day, but late enough that if he tried to fall back asleep it would do no good. Rubbing his eyes, he got up from his bed and walked over to his desk. Picking up his glasses that he’d set next to his laptop before going to bed, he put them on and slowly opened up his laptop to use. </p>
<p>New York had really done a number on him. After closing that portal, he’d thrown himself into his work - needing something to do to get his mind back under control. And after having the surgery to get the shrapnel out of his heart, he’d done the same thing. Now, a few years had passed and he was still struggling to get a good night’s sleep. It was a battle that was constant, the insomnia and anxiety going hand in hand with one another. </p>
<p>The bright light from his laptop made him squint, then his eyes began to water at the sudden brightness. Blinking away the tears, he pulled up the chat program that he knew a majority of people were using nowadays. Scrolling for a bit, he found the group he’d joined a few months ago - ‘Who Needs Sleep’ - and began to type. </p>
<p>“<em>Is anyone awake right now?</em>” He could see a few members of the group were around, but he wasn’t sure if they were active or not. “<em>Can’t sleep</em>.” </p>
<p>A user by the name of ‘NoddingOff’ began to type a reply to him. “<em>I’m here, Mr. Agrypnia. Everything okay?</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>Same ol’, same ol’. You? What time is it where you are?</em>” </p>
<p>He saw another name pop up and start typing at the same time as NoddingOff was typing. Curious to see who would reply first, the other member replied with an emoticon of a weary face. Then NoddingOff’s message popped up. “<em>Almost six am</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>East coast, huh? Have you tried going to sleep yet? Since you’re in this group, my guess is you haven’t hit the pillows at all</em>.” The last few nights both he and NoddingOff had been on at the same time, which had helped save Tony’s sanity but he wasn’t about to admit that to this total stranger. </p>
<p>He saw NoddingOff typing again. “<em>Yes, EST. And no - I can’t sleep. I was out late, and am still too wired to sleep. I’m watching what are supposed to be relaxing videos on YT but so far I’ve watched ten of them and feel no difference</em>.”  </p>
<p>“<em>I hear tha</em>t.” His cursor hovered over NoddingOff’s name, and decided to send him a friend request. Don’t want to hog up the channel with too much personal talk. He was happy to see that it was almost instantly approved, and then began to type a direct message to them. “<em>I hope you don’t mind - I’m sure the group would love hearing me complain some more</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>That’s what the group is for, Mr. Agrypnia. :) But I don’t mind. I was thinking about sending you one too, since it seems we’re on the same sleep pattern</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>What sleep. :-/</em>” Tony leaned back and smiled. </p>
<p>“<em>Hey, at least it’s only 3am for you! I’ve got to get to class in two hours. I’m fucked</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>Class, huh? Where do you go to school? Or is that too personal of a question to ask this late, or this early in the morning?</em>” He noticed that NoddingOff wasn’t replying. “<em>If that’s too invasive, feel free not to answer. I have to be at work myself in five hours. Not enough time to really get a restful sleep</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>What sort of work do you do?</em>” </p>
<p>Clever. If they didn’t want to inform him of their schooling, then he wasn’t about to push. “<em>Boring stuff. Lots of NDA things, so I can’t really tell you. ;) Today will require at least four cups of very very strong coffee</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>I want to drink coffee, but when I do I feel like it multiplies my panic attack</em>s.” NoddingOff replied. </p>
<p>Tony let out a soft ‘huh’. “<em>You have panic attacks too?</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>Yeah. I get them often. Panic and anxiety. If they get really bad, I take some medicine for it, but I don’t like how it makes me feel. I can handle day to day life just fine. It’s at night when they get bad. Partly the reason why I’m in the group we met in</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>Night terrors are what woke me up. That’s why I wind up coming online when I do. I went to ‘bed’ at midnight, and was rudely awakened by a panic attack brought on by the night terrors</em>.” Tony stood up and stretched, and went to the kitchen to grab his first cup of coffee. Friday was programmed to start it as soon as he woke up, and the smell of it being done had reminded him that it was waiting for him. </p>
<p>Pouring it into an Avengers mug, he went back to his bedroom and saw that he had a message from NoddingOff. “<em>Sorry to hear that Mr. Agrypnia. At least you got two hours of sleep. I think the last time I had a restful sleep was 2012</em>. <em>It's gotten worse over the last year and a half, though.</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>Funny. That’s the same for me. No, actually - probably more like 2008, but I had learned to deal with things in between that time period</em>.” Taking a sip of coffee, he saw that it was now approaching 3:30 in the morning. “<em>Since you won’t tell me what school you go to, will you tell me your name? Or should I just keep thinking of you as your handle?</em>” </p>
<p>A crying with laughter emoticon appeared in their chat. “<em>You can call me Ben</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>That’s a nice name. Ben, I’m Eds</em>.” Tony wasn’t about to give his first name, but he figured his middle name would suffice. It’s what he usually told strangers he spoke to on the internet. “<em>It’s nice to officially meet you</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>It’s nice to meet you too, Ed! I gotta go and get ready for my day. Try and get some sleep later if you can! A nap is better than trying to run on fumes. :) Have a nice day!</em>” </p>
<p>Setting his mug down, Tony began to smile as he typed. “<em>Good luck in class. Talk to you soon!</em>” </p>
<p>He went back to the Insomnia channel, and saw that a few more people had joined in, so he decided to jump back into the chat for a bit before closing his laptop. Picking up his mug of coffee, he went back out to the kitchen and decided to make himself something light to eat. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>“You look terrible, Mr. Parker.” Tony said, as Peter Parker’s face came up on the console in front of him. Since Tony was out on the west coast for an indefinite amount of time due to Stark Industries work, the two had bi-weekly check-ins via Facetime. He’d returned home after a long day at the office, his exhaustion limiting him from productivity. “Those bags under your eyes are horrendous.” </p>
<p>“Hi to you too, Mr. Stark.” Peter grabbed a pair of sunglasses, and put them on. “There? Is that better for you? I had a late night last night patrolling.” </p>
<p>“Oh? Did you get any bad guys?” He started to type, multitasking as he waited for Peter to answer. “How’s the suit working out for you?” </p>
<p>“The suit is great, thank you. The upgrades are flawless.” </p>
<p>“Of course they are. I made them for you.”</p>
<p>He heard Peter snort, which brought a smirk to his lips. “Yes, I got them. The police were grateful for the help. I think I wound up patrolling until like 1? And then got some sleep.” </p>
<p>“Good. You need sleep. That mind of yours needs to repair itself at night.” Tony stopped typing, and then looked up at Peter. “Seriously, lose the sunglasses. I don’t mind talking to a raccoon. Look at my face.” He pointed to his own bags. </p>
<p>“Your face isn’t that bad.” Peter took them off, and pushed some of his hair back. “I think I might skip on patrolling tonight.” </p>
<p>“Take the next two nights off.” He agreed, and then held up his hand as Peter started to protest. “No, I don’t want to hear it. If you’re tired, you are more likely to wind up making a mistake. And I can’t come out there and help you right now.” </p>
<p>“Why do you always assume I’m going to need your help?” He could hear the annoyance in Peter’s tone, and knew that he had every right to feel like that so he didn’t bother calling him out. “I’ve survived so far. You’ve been gone, what? Three weeks now?” </p>
<p>“True. But, I also know that if I need to, I can call one of the other Avengers to make sure you’re safe.” Tony wasn’t above it, although he’d rather be the one out there to keep an eye on Peter. “Don’t give me grief because I want to keep you safe.” </p>
<p>“Who keeps you safe?” </p>
<p>“Friday.” </p>
<p>“Ha ha.” </p>
<p>Tony looked up, and caught Peter’s gaze. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. Now, if I find out from Happy that you were out patrolling the next two nights, there’s going to be hell to pay.” </p>
<p>“What will you do? Take my suit away again?” Peter asked, somewhat exasperated. “Sorry, Mr. Stark, but you’re in - where are you again?” </p>
<p>He sighed and shook his head. “Remind me to not bother telling you where I’m heading off to for <em>weeks</em> because you can’t seem to remember a god damn thing.” </p>
<p>“Hey! I’m sorry, okay? I told you - I had a late night last night. I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. You’re in LA, right?” </p>
<p>Nodding his head, Tony covered his mouth to stop a yawn. “So you <em>do</em> pay attention. Good. Yes, I’m in Los Angeles. Malibu to be exact. Beach. Real nice. Not as nice as my old house, but it’ll do.” </p>
<p>“The one that sank into the ocean?” </p>
<p>“The very one.” Leaning back in his chair, he looked at Peter. “Tonight? No patrol. Tomorrow? No patrol. Get some rest, Mr. Parker. No excuses.” </p>
<p>“You should get rest too. I can see how tired you are all the way over here.” </p>
<p>“No rest for the wicked.” Tony shook his head. “Take care of yourself, kid.” </p>
<p>“You too, Mr. Stark.” </p>
<p>With a swipe of his hand, he ended the call. Picking up his mug, he saw that there was barely any coffee left in it. To caffeinate more, or to go upstairs and try and have a quick nap without any dreams. Those were two very different options and ones he wasn’t sure which would be more successful. He remembered what Ben had said earlier through chat - how a nap was better than no sleep. </p>
<p>“What the hell.” He set his mug down, and went upstairs to his bedroom. It was almost five in the afternoon - a nap this late would probably mess up any chance he had at sleeping through the night. But that was always his reality, so really - maybe a nap wouldn’t be such a bad idea. </p>
<p>Flopping down on his bed, he turned his head to the side. “Friday - close the blackout curtains.” As the room became robed in darkness, he began to feel the heavy drag of sleep starting to hit him. </p>
<p>“Should I set an alarm, boss?” Friday asked, her voice sounding far away. </p>
<p>“No, don’t bother. I’ll wake up when I wake up.” He rolled onto his other side, and found a somewhat comfortable position. “No calls, Friday. Take messages. I’ll get to them when I wake up.” </p>
<p>“You got it, boss.” </p>
<p>Tony prayed that he would fall asleep, and would wake up magically tomorrow morning. He was <em>that</em> exhausted. The last thought on his mind was that he hoped that Peter was heeding his advice, and wasn’t going to defy his request for no patrolling. He really cared about him, and wanted to make sure he was good - and being three thousand miles away from him was a distance he really didn’t like but had no choice in the matter. Rolling back over onto his other side, he fell into a deep sleep with a small smile on his face. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Panic gripped him as he woke with a start. Tony’s hand slammed on his chest, right where the arc reactor should be, grasping at something that’s no longer there. He looked around, the total darkness only adding to his panic as he tried to remember where he was. What he’d been doing. Every second that passed was faster than the last, his chest heaving as he tried to get a hold on his breathing. </p>
<p>“Friday….Lights.” He croaked out, reaching blindly for the bottle of water he kept by his bedside. A few lights turned on at half power, filling his room with artificial light. He saw he was in his bedroom, the shapes of the dresser and bookshelf helping to lessen the panic. “Thanks.” He muttered, uncapping his water bottle to take a long sip. </p>
<p>“You’re welcome, boss. It’s ten after one.” </p>
<p>Taking a deep breath, he set his water bottle down and flopped back down on his pillow. He hissed and sat back up, the pillow damp from sweating through his night terror. Bringing his knees up to his chest, he sighed. “One, huh? And what time did I go down for a nap?” </p>
<p>“Five.” </p>
<p>“Well, at least my mind gave me eight hours.” Tony sighed, and got up from his bed. There was no sense in trying to go back to sleep because even though he’d woken up from another nightmare, he felt mildly rested. “What’s open right now that I can have delivered?” </p>
<p>“Not a whole lot of options in Malibu, boss.” Friday’s voice filled his bedroom as he took a seat at his desk. “Do you want me to try and get something delivered?” </p>
<p>“No, it’s fine.” Opening his laptop, he typed in his password and yawned a little. “I’m sure I’ve got some food downstairs.” </p>
<p>“You do. Plenty of options to make whatever you want.” </p>
<p>“I somehow doubt that, but thank you for that sentiment.” Tony looked and saw that he had a message from Ben. And it had come in a little after he’d laid down for his nap. “<em>I’ll be around most of tonight if you can’t sleep. Hope you got a nap in today, Eds</em>.” </p>
<p>Rubbing his eyes, he put his fingers on the keyboard and began to type. “<em>Funny enough, I did nap. But I think I accidentally slept because I laid down at five and now I’m wide awake. Hope you’re sleeping soundly, Ben</em>.” </p>
<p>Not expecting to see anything more, he started to turn his head away when he saw the notification that ‘NoddingOff’ was typing. He returned to looking at the screen and waited for whatever it was that Ben was going to say to him pop up. He didn’t have to wait too long, as it showed up a few seconds later. “<em>Weird timing. I just woke up from an extended nap myself. Not really sleep, but I’ll take it. :)</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>What woke you up?</em>” Tony couldn’t help but ask, as he was curious. </p>
<p>“<em>Nightmare</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>Same</em>.” After a few quiet minutes, he began to type again. “<em>I’m going to go make myself a pot of coffee. Brb</em>.” He didn’t wait to see if Ben would say something, and instead stood up and walked downstairs to his kitchen. </p>
<p>Friday was already on top of the caffeine, as he could smell it percolating as he wandered into the kitchen. One in the morning - now it was closer to one thirty, but still. That meant it was four on the east coast where Ben was, and where his home office was. And Peter. <em>Peter</em>. He hoped that Peter had listened to him, and had half the mind to check security footage in the area of Queens where he knew Spiderman frequented often, but decided that that would be a breach of trust. </p>
<p>Grabbing a frozen pizza from the freezer, he turned on the oven and waited for it to preheat. “Friday - set the timer for twenty minutes.” He went and grabbed his mug and poured a cup of coffee, now that it was finished brewing. “Remind me a minute out so I can get downstairs in time to not have any charcoal on my pizza.” </p>
<p>“Will do, boss.” </p>
<p>He returned to his bedroom and sat down at his computer and saw that Ben had sent a ‘Np’. He still wasn’t showing up online, though. After taking a few sips, he began to feel more alert, his mind still racing a little with the aftermath of his nightmare. Another portal dream. These were getting old. He’d kill for one of Ultron. Mix it up a little. But no, his subconscious was stuck on what happened in New York. </p>
<p>“<em>Is there any reason why you are showing offline? Hiding from someone? ;)</em>” Tony typed to Ben. </p>
<p>Immediately as he sent it, he saw that Ben’s icon changed to being on ‘Do Not Disturb’, which was what his was always set at for himself. “<em>If I tell you, you’ll probably think I’m super lame. But thanks for letting me know I was still appearing ‘offline’</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>Well now, you have to tell me. You’ve got my curiosity piqued. So, why were you ‘offline’?</em>” </p>
<p>He waited to see Ben typing before he picked up his mug of coffee. As he was typing, Friday announced that he had one minute left. Deciding he’d just come back and read what he wrote, he went downstairs and grabbed the pizza right as the timer officially went off. After slicing it with a pizza cutter, he carried his food back up to his bedroom and sat down. He saw Ben was still typing, which made him chuckle. </p>
<p>“<em>Ben, this isn’t that complicated of a question. I went and got pizza, and you’re still typing</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>I keep deleting and retyping. :-/ Okay, okay. I was offline because I saw you weren’t online, and I didn’t want to seem like I was waiting around for you, which is why I went and took my nap. Not as long as yours. It’s stupid. Sorry. Probably think less of me now. I swear, I’m not always like this, Eds</em>.” </p>
<p>Tony laughed, then picked up a slice of pizza. “<em>That’s not lame. That’s actually kind of nice. In a weird, psychotic way. I’m kidding, btw. You’ve got nothing to worry about, Ben</em>.” He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. “<em>What would you have done if i hadn’t come online?</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>Probably put myself back on DND and beat myself up for being so lame</em>.” </p>
<p>He laughed again, impressed by the honesty of this person. Probably because they have absolutely no idea who he is, which is nice. “<em>Again, not lame. I’m glad someone out there cares enough to do something like that for me</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>I know we don’t really know each other well, but us insomniacs should stick together, right?</em>” Ben’s response had Tony nodding his head as he grabbed another slice of pizza. </p>
<p>“<em>Agreed</em>.” Tony finished his slice of pizza, and noticed that it was a little after two now. “<em>Do you have class today?</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>Every day</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>Even Saturdays and Sundays? Wow - times have changed since I went to school</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>Ha ha.</em>” Devouring another slice of pizza, Tony looked up and saw that Ben was typing more. “<em>You said you’ve had it since 08, yeah? Insomnia? So, it doesn’t get easier, does it?</em>” </p>
<p>Finishing the last slice, Tony began to type. “<em>It depends. There are some good days, and some bad ones. I thought being with someone would help. That was a huge mistake on my part</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>They didn’t break up with you because of it, did they? That’s awful</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>No, there were a myriad of reasons why things ended</em>.” He thought about Pepper, and how they had tried to make it work, but after everything - it hadn’t been enough. “<em>You learn to deal. I know this won’t last forever, which keeps me going</em>.” </p>
<p>He picked up his coffee, and took a long sip. “<em>That’s encouraging to hear. Thanks, Eds. I need to go and get ready for school. Got a little bit of homework to do still. You have a good rest of your night/morning, okay?</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>Thanks, Ben. You too. And don’t put yourself offline on my account. I’m always happy to see you online. :)</em>” </p>
<p>His reply was met with a smiley face emoticon. Tony closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. Yeah, it was early enough that he could get some work done for the east coast office. Getting up, he finished his coffee and went to go take a shower and get ready for another long day. </p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings: Graphic elements due to nightmares</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Peter Parker reread the words that had just been typed by Mr. Agrypnia, or now that he knew their name - Eds. “<em>I’m always happy to see you online. :)</em>” He never thought that he would read those words from him, but here they were. Plain as day. Or, night. Night would be a better comparison, as that’s how they met. Thanks to their bouts with insomnia. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rubbed his eyes, and looked at the clock. It was almost six in the morning. How he hadn’t realized they’d been talking for that long, he didn’t know. Per Tony’s orders, he hadn’t gone out on patrol yesterday, and knew that he wouldn’t be going out again tonight. That left him some time to sleep after school. No, wait. He had debate club after school. Looking at his backpack, and then at his bed, he was seriously contemplating just taking a mental health day. Catch up on some sleep. Somehow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, he knew that that wouldn’t do. He’d had worse nights than last night, so he got up from his desk and grabbed some clean clothes to wear to school. May was already gone for the morning - her shift had started at five, so Peter was on his own. Taking a quick shower, his thoughts lingered on Eds, and the end of their conversation, wondering what kind of person Eds was. Was he good looking? His age? Older? Younger? For some reason, he felt older, but he didn’t know by how much. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking the bus to school, Peter saw Ned was waiting for him, looking around as if not expecting to see him. “Ned!” He waved, approaching his best friend. “What’s up?” He held his hand out, and greeted Ned with their signature handshake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look like hell, Peter.” Ned leaned forward and spoke in an almost comical whisper. “Stark internship stuff??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope.” He laughed, as the two of them walked up the stairs to head into their school. “I didn’t sleep very much last night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should see a doctor about that. I’m worried about you.” Ned said, as Peter threw some of his stuff into his locker, grabbing the books he needed for the first part of his day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Happy that his friend was so conscientious of him, Peter turned to face him. “I’m okay, really. I had yesterday off, and I’m taking today off too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Skip debate.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Harrington will have kittens if I do that.” Peter sighed, and adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. “No, I need to stick around.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you tried jacking it before you go to bed?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ned!” He groaned, hoping that no one was paying any attention to their conversation as they walked to their first period class together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? It helps relax me, and gets me to fall asleep pretty fast.” The grin on his best friend’s face made Peter mildly uncomfortable but only because he really didn’t need to know those sorts of details about Ned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good for you. And yes - I have. But it doesn’t always work.” Peter mumbled, as he dropped his backpack on his desk. “And please - <em>please</em> don’t suggest I watch some weird fetish porn, and try and get off like five times back to back.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ew?” MJ’s voice joined their conversation, both Peter and Ned turning to look at her. “Ew.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-MJ!” He was mortified. Out of all the people to walk in on that conversation at the wrong time. “We were just talking-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About how crazy I am for liking gross things.” Ned was quick to cover for him. “Peter hasn’t been sleeping, so I was telling him the nasty things I do to get to dreamland.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ew??” She looked over at him. “Seriously? Not sleeping still?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s chronic.” Peter sighed, and saw that the bell was about to ring. “Can we talk about this later? It’s going to be a long day for me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For all of us, really.” Ned replied. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speak for yourself - I’m good. Got a great night’s sleep, had a good breakfast. Bring on the tough equations.” MJ picked up her pencil, and proceeded to ignore them for the rest of the period. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the end of the day, Peter felt like he was floating on air. Which was saying something, as he knew his feet were on the ground. He hated getting spacey like this. He almost missed his stop, realizing as the bus was about to pull away. He jumped off and walked the short block back to his home. May still wasn’t home, which was both nice and upsetting. Nice because that meant he could pass out if he wanted to, but upsetting because it meant he was on his own for food. And right now, food wasn’t going to be a thing as he trudged to his bedroom. Sleep first. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As his head hit the pillow, whatever tiredness had been clinging to his mind and body decided to dissipate. Groaning, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and decided to see if Eds was online. He was on the west coast, so that meant it was almost two in the afternoon. Twelve hours since the two of them spoke last. Figuring what the hell, Peter signed on to the program and first checked the group they’d met in. There weren’t a lot of new comments - most of the activity happened in the middle of the night - imagine that, a group for insomniacs that only spoke at the most asinine times of the day. He saw that Eds was online, and decided to send him a message. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I don’t know how I got through class. I figured when I got home, I’d sleep. But wouldn’t you know, as soon as my head hit the pillow - poof. Not tired</em>.” He sent it, and checked to make sure he was online. That had been so <em>stupid</em> the night before. But he had felt like an absolute moron, waiting to hear back and then it was total radio silence. He did feel better once Eds had told him it was because he was asleep, but still. Talk about giving a guy a complex. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Eds typing, which made his heart pick up its pace. “<em>Boy, do I know what that feels like. My problem is that my brain won’t shut off because it’s too hyped up on caffeine. Lucky for you, I’m here to converse with, should you so choose to waste your time like that</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Hold on</em>.” Peter signed out on his phone, and grabbed his laptop, putting it on his blanket-covered legs as he sat up in bed. He reopened their chat and began typing. “<em>Waste my time? Talking to you? Not possible. It’s more likely that you are wasting your time talking to me, Eds. :p</em>” Any sort of tiredness was definitely gone now, as his excitement began to build. “<em>It feels weird to be talking to you while the sun is still out</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>If you could hear me laugh right now</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I can. It’s really loud. Could you please tone it down? I’m in NYC, for God’s sake</em>.” He laughed, feeling ridiculous. Maybe it was the delirium finally setting in. He’d finally cracked after not getting any good sleep recently. That had to be it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>It does feel a little surreal that we’re speaking right now. But not in a bad way. I kept NYC hours today for work, so I’m already done for the day</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter heard his phone vibrate. Looking over, he saw that it was a text from Ned that was simply an eggplant with three sweat drops emoticons placed after it. Rolling his eyes, he began to type without really thinking about it. “<em>My friend just sent me a text telling me that I need to jack it in order to get tired. I told him I’ve tried, and unsuccessful. He didn’t believe me. I wish I could jack it, and it would be like a switch - lights out. Oh, crap. Sorry - that was super TMI</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Torn between wanting to throw his laptop across the room, and wanting to just hide underneath his covers at how brazen he just was with his insomniac friend, he chose instead to just sit with his eyes closed and hope that Eds didn’t think he was too insane. Afraid to look at the screen, he counted in his head to thirty and then took a quick glance. He was happy he saw a message from Eds, making him feel marginally better about his outburst. Even though there was no real excuse for it. Taking a longer look, he read what Eds had sent to him, and felt his face heat up to the temperature of the sun. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Sex can offer you temporary relief, but it always comes back. I’ve tried multiple ways of having sex - masturbation, actual sex, kinky sex, you name it I’ve tried it. Sure, it’ll tire me out, but inevitably I will still wake up from either a nightmare, or just not be enough to really make me pass out the way I want to. So tell your friend while the suggestion is a good one, it doesn’t work for insomniacs very often</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kinky sex?!” Peter exclaimed, shaking his head back and forth. “What does that even mean?!” He was now picturing Eds as his icon, engaging in some tentacle porn. Which shouldn’t even be possible because real life was not anime. After a minor meltdown of seeing a cartoon cat doing some weird stuff, he began to type again. “<em>Well, I’m glad to hear you’re in the same position as me when it comes to that sort of thing</em>.” He hoped that wasn’t too weird of a sentence to be saying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You know, I’ll be coming to NYC in a few weeks. Would it be too strange to meet up for some coffee?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at the screen, blinking his eyes as he read the question again. <em>Eds wants to meet me?? Fuck</em>. His hands were frozen in position, not sure what to type. As he stared at the screen, his phone vibrated on his bed. Looking over, he saw that he had a text from ‘IMTS’. He didn’t keep Tony’s name on his phone, not wanting it to get into the wrong hands. Picking it up, he read his text. “<em>You’re not patrolling, right? Not saving some old woman? Eating churros on a rooftop somewhere in Queens?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You told me to take the day off, remember? So no. I’m sitting at home. See?</em>” He took a quick selfie, and sent it to him. He’d been doing that more often as of late, since Tony was all the way across the country right now. He missed him - missed him in a way that probably wasn’t healthy, but he wasn’t thinking about that right now. “<em>What are you up to?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Eds was typing again. “<em>Was that too forward? Sorry, Ben. I can rescind my request to meet up with you for coffee. Internet friends only</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>No! Sorry, hold on please</em>.” He typed, panicked that he’d offended Eds by not saying anything. He saw Tony was typing a response to him on his phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A picture of Tony showed up with him sitting at his desk at his home, dressed casually. <em>He didn’t go to the office today?</em> “<em>Good. You look a little more rested than you did. Keep doing that. If you’re still not feeling alert, take another day off. Queens will be fine</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Take your time</em>.” He saw Eds type to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, he returned to his text with Tony. “<em>Got it. You look better too. A little. Still tired</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>That’s my secret, kid. I’m always tired. Talk to you soon</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew that was the end of the conversation, not bothering to say a goodbye to him. Peter set his phone down, and returned to his other conversation. “<em>My schedule is pretty hectic. I’m not sure if we’d be available at the same time while you’re in town. How long are you going to be visiting?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Uncertain. Might be a lengthy stay. Depends on a few things. So, does knowing that make you feel better about the time? Because I’d be okay with meeting you late at night, but that kind of comes off weird</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A nervous laugh bubbled out of him. “<em>How about we play it by ear? I know what you mean, though. Since we talk at the weirdest times of night, it might make sense to just meet at that time</em>.” Peter shook his head, shocked that he was agreeing to meeting this stranger. Hopefully they wouldn’t be offended to find out he was a sixteen year old that was still in high school. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I can work with that. What are you going to do with your evening? Anything exciting? I might head down to the beach and remind myself why nature is good. Or something</em>.” Eds typed to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Such a Californian thing to say. ‘I’m going to the beach.’ ;) I’ll probably work on some homework, and then hope I get tired enough that I can sleep for a tiny bit. If I can’t?</em>” Peter watched as Ben typed another message to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You know where to find me. Here’s hoping we both can sleep. Take care, Ben</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You too, Eds</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He closed out the conversation, and closed his laptop. Standing up, he went out to the kitchen to find something to eat. He was going to need fuel for his brain if he wanted to get some proper studying done. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter woke up in a blind panic at half past three in the morning. Gasping for breath, he reached for something to grab onto, his hand finding his nightstand. He gripped onto it, struggling to get his breathing under control. His heart pounded hard in his chest, as he tried to get his eyes to focus. Everything was too real - too hypersensitive due to his abilities that were now working against him instead of helping him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wanting to cry, he felt tears start to slide down his cheeks as the panic slowly abated and his nerves calmed down. <em>You’re okay. You’re okay</em>. He kept repeating this over and over, as he took long, slow breaths. His nightmare had been bad - not the normal run of the mill nightmare this time. No, this one had <em>hurt</em>. He was back on the ferry, and instead of Tony coming to save him, his arms had been ripped from their sockets, unable to hold the ship together any longer. He watched as people started to sink into the water around him, screaming his head off as he saw his arms still up in the air holding onto his webbing. Rubbing his eyes again, his crying subsided as he realized that it had been a dream. A horrific dream. Not real. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His phone lit up the room as he grabbed it to take a look at the last text message that Tony had sent to him, feeling mildly better. Tony wasn’t mad. Tony was still talking to him. They were friends. He had messed up, but nothing quite as extreme as his subconscious had fooled him into believing. Sniffling, he wiped his eyes a second time and pushed his pillows to be up against his wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leaning over, he picked up his laptop and decided to see if anyone was active in the insomnia group. That’s what he told himself as he launched the chat program, but his eyes went to his friend list to see if a certain person was online. And sure enough, they were. And as he brought up their conversation, he saw Eds was typing him a message. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>We really need to stop meeting like this. Everything okay, Ben?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Not really. Had a really bad nightmare. Still trying to calm down</em>." His fingers trembled a little as he typed, then rubbed his upper arms to make sure that everything was still attached. “<em>I hate my head sometimes</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>At least you got some sleep. I have yet to lay down again. Going on hour….almost twenty four? I really don’t remember</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shifted the laptop, adjusting his back against his pillows. “<em>You should try and sleep, Eds. At least for a few hours</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>But then I’d miss this stimulating conversation with you, Ben. And then where would I be?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Asleep. LOL</em>.” Peter couldn’t help but smile at the comment, wondering if Eds was flirting with him, or just being nice. “<em>I should probably go back to sleep. Once my resting heart rate isn’t beating to the tempo of Flight of the Bumblebee</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Deep breaths. You’re awake. Everything is good</em>.” Eds typed out to him. Peter nodded his head as he read the words again. “<em>I’ll go and try to sleep, if you do the same</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He started to type, a hint of a smile on his lips. “<em>Sounds like a plan, Eds. Guess we’ll talk again soon?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Later today, I’m sure. Gnight, Ben. Remember - everything is good</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Same goes for you, Eds. Night!</em>” He waited until he saw Eds disappear before exiting out of the chat window. He hopped back into the insomnia group and spoke for a few minutes to the few that were online chatting, then closed the program. Shutting his laptop down, he set it back where’d picked it up from and readjusted his pillows to lay down properly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if he got back to sleep, he wouldn’t fall into a deep sleep. Not when his alarm was set to go off in two hours. But he had told Eds he would try and get some sleep, so he closed his eyes and hoped for the best. </span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Tony dropped his head on his desk, his eyelids refusing to open even though he wanted them to. He had reached his limit, it would seem. After two weeks of constantly pushing himself to stay awake, he’d finally reached the end of his rope. His body hurt, his mind was a mess, and the idea of trying to get up from his desk to go over to his bed seemed like a Herculean effort. Just as he was about to throw in the towel, he heard a soft <em>ding</em> which immediately woke him up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That noise never failed to make him feel more alert. Dragging his mouse over, he brought up the chat window that he’d been looking at earlier but hadn’t sent anything as he knew it was unreasonably late on the east coast. “<em>You awake, Eds?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>When am I ever asleep? And don’t say that one time you decided to ghost because you were embarrassed. That doesn’t count. ;)</em>” He typed, sitting up with a smile now plastered on his face. “<em>You know I’ll be in NYC in a few-ish days. Are we going to meet?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been talking more and more with Ben, and found that it was helping the mild anxiety he would carry around with him during the day. Too bad he hadn’t figured out a way to make it carry over to when he went to bed. He had no idea what Ben looked like, and honestly he was kind of glad. It felt easier to talk to him as a peer, this level of anonymity. But that would disappear as soon as they met, but he was willing to sacrifice that. Assuming Ben would actually agree to meeting him, which he still hadn’t said yes, but he was working on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>So soon? I thought you said you would be here in a couple of weeks</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>It’s been almost a month since I told you. I get it, though. Time doesn’t really exist when you’re not keeping to a set schedule. Oh, sleep - such a cruel mistress</em>.” Tony began to ramble, realizing that he was now showing his extreme tiredness to Ben. “<em>Sorry - if you couldn’t tell, I haven’t been to bed yet</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw an exasperated emoticon appear in their chat. “<em>Eds - you said you were going to go to bed hours ago</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>And then I got stuck on a project and forgot. So sue me. I was going to go to bed, but then you sent me a message</em>.” He typed, smirking a little. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Oh, so now it’s my fault that you’re not sleeping? Fine, I see how it is Eds. I just had another nightmare, and was hoping you’d be around to talk, but since it seems you haven’t gone to bed yet, I should just let you go</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit.” Tony started to type. “<em>No, don’t go. I’m happy you’re here. Do you want to talk about your nightmare? Was it another bad one?</em>” That was a dumb question. He already knew the answer to that, if Ben was awake at four in the morning on the east coast. “<em>You know what? Don’t answer that. That was dumb</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You’re happy I’m here? :) I’m happy you’re here too. And yeah - it was another bad one. I just love waking up with tears pouring down my face. That’s my favorite</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He barked out a laugh at that. “<em>Careful. I can’t tell if you’re being serious, or sarcastic. ;)</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Sarcastic? Me? Never, Eds. I don’t know the meaning of that word</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leaning back in his chair, Tony moved the laptop to be closer to the edge of the desk so he didn’t have to reach as far to type. “<em>Oh, you’re a real gem when you’re emotionally exhausted. Might want to check that sarcasm button that’s installed in every human’s brain. Just give it a little tap</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Now I’m crying because you’re making me laugh so hard. Stop, I’m begging you, Eds</em>.” Ben’s words brought a ridiculous smile to Tony’s face. He felt like some damn teenager, and it felt nice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Please tell me you’re going to meet me when I’m in NYC</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You’re bringing that up again? You just won’t leave it alone, will you?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony was glad that Ben realized what he was about. “<em>That’s right. I won’t. Because I would like to meet you. But it seems that I’m the only person that feels that way. I get it</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I told you - if I can’t sleep, then I’ll message you when you’re here. We’ll meet at some 24-hr donut shop</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the same answer that Ben kept giving him, so he was going to have to believe him. “<em>Fine. But if we don’t meet, I won’t be upset. I’ll still message you. Talking to you is one of the highlights of my day</em>.” He waited to get a reply from Ben, but it was radio silence. “<em>Ben? You there?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Yeah, I’m here. Sorry - I’m just, I just….I feel the same way, Eds. :) I just didn’t want to believe the words you had just typed. I thought they were my imagination</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There it was again. That feeling like he was a teenager was creeping back up, causing him to smile more. “<em>Good. Glad it’s mutual. You gonna stay up before class?</em>” He’d learned that if Ben woke up around this time, he tended to stay online. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>No point in going back to sleep. Stay up with me until I have to get ready?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Like I was going anywhere. :) How about a game of chess?</em>” He was already pulling up the invite to the site they liked to play games on together. “<em>I won’t take no for an answer, Ben</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Send me the link already. :p</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They spent the next couple of hours playing games, going back and forth between chess and go. When Tony had first mentioned the game to Ben, he’d been impressed that he knew how to play it. It was a difficult game to play, and he had a lot of fun playing digitally with him. He heard the clock strike three for him, which meant that Ben was going to be leaving soon. And that made him sad. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Have a good day in class</em>.” Tony typed, hating this part of the night. “<em>Talk to you soon, Ben</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Go to bed, Eds. That would make me happy. Remember - everything is good</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That had become their little saying to each other after that night that Ben had come on and told him about his nightmare. “<em>Everything is good. :)</em>” He closed the chat box, and then closed the laptop. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking over at his bed, he decided he would make an effort to sleep, since Ben had been so insistent about it. Not insistent, but his words did leave an impression on Tony. He got up from his chair and pulled his shirt off, dropping it to the floor as he flopped down onto his bed face first. As soon as his head hit his pillow, his eyes returned to their exhausted state. He hoped that he would stay asleep for a lengthy amount of time. He really needed the rest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony tapped his earpiece to raise the volume in his ear. “Young blood. You awake? You sound like I just woke you up.” He started to walk down the stairs, leaving his private jet. “Tell me you’re not swinging right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Mr. Stark. No, I’m not. I’m still at school.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit. Right. It’s Thursday, isn’t it?” Tony checked his wrist, and saw that it was a little after three. “Um….what was it again? Debate club?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” He heard Peter covering the mouthpiece to talk to someone. “Is everything alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything’s fine. Just wanted to check up on you. I had forgotten what time it was. Forgive me, I’m still on LA time.” He got into the back of the car, Happy closing the door behind him. “Let’s catch up this weekend? Do you have room in your schedule to come up to the Avengers campus?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think so? Yeah.” He could practically hear Peter nodding his head, as if he could see him. “Mr. Stark - I really need to go.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Got it. Have a good debate, or whatever. See you this weekend, Mr. Parker.” He ended the call before he had to listen to Peter stutter through a goodbye. It was endearing, but sometimes could be a little time consuming. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where to, sir?” Happy asked, as they pulled away from the airfield. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The tower, please. Everything going well here, Hap?” He asked without looking up from his phone. He looked at the app of the chat program he used to talk to Ben on, and contemplated sending him a message to let him know he was back in this time zone, but his nerves got the best of him. He decided to pocket his phone, and looked at Happy who was paying attention to the road. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As well as can be, sir. Happy to have you back in New York, that’s for sure.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s good to be back.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony nodded off in the backseat as Happy drove him into Manhattan. The flight back had been uneventful, and Tony had been hoping to sleep but of course, sleep was his cruel mistress that was continuing to avoid him. In the early hours of the morning, he’d played a few games with Ben, and had been wanting to tell him he was going to be flying out but decided to keep it a surprise. Which is why he still hadn’t sent him a message. It’s still too early in the day to make that happen, or so he kept telling himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Back at the tower, he said a quick hello to Pepper and then went up to his penthouse apartment. Deciding that a shower was in order, he headed to the master bedroom to strip out of his clothes and then went into the master bathroom. As he stood under the water, his thoughts wandered in two different directions - Peter and Ben. Hearing Peter’s voice had been nice - their text messages were all fine and good, but getting to hear him always brought a smile to his face. Except when he’s been answering the phone and sounding almost like a completely different person due to his tiredness. He tried to remember what it was like for him at that age - he was always tired, and had been in college already so he wasn’t the best judge of what Peter might be going through. He was going to have a stern talk with him this weekend at the compound, that much was certain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then, Ben. Ben - who was a friend. A friend he liked to speak to. <em>Cut the bullshit</em>. He sighed, washing his hair as he stood away from the perfectly tempered water. How could he like someone that he had no idea what they looked like? But there it was - he had caught feelings for him. He’d been thinking about talking to him about it, to test the waters and see if there was any interest there, but again - he liked their friendship. He wasn’t about to jeopardize it because he couldn’t keep it platonic. Not yet, at least. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finishing up in the shower, Tony dried off and stared at his own reflection. The bags under his eyes were getting to be unmanageable. He was going to have to wear sunglasses more often, regardless of how bright it was inside or outside. The last time he’d been this bad with his sleeping habits had been a few years ago, and he remembered the press having a field day with it. “<em>Is Tony Stark Cracking?</em>” “<em>Who Will Save Iron Man if He Falls? Again?</em>” “<em>Dud Tony Stark Needs A New Hobby</em>”. He refused to give those assholes any more reason to write ill about him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Since he didn’t have anywhere pressing to be for the evening, he threw on a pair of sweats and a Black Sabbath shirt. “FRIDAY - what’s been going on since I’ve been in the air?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not much, boss. You’re caught up on everything for the moment. Would you like for me to dim the lights so you can take a nap?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You read my mind.” Dropping down onto his couch, he grabbed one of the pillows and put it up against the arm so he had a comfortable place to rest his head. “No calls, please. If I’m not awake in two hours…..you know what? I’ll wake up when I wake up.” He yawned, and found a supremely comfortable spot, his body molding to his couch perfectly. “Hold all my calls.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony prayed that he would sleep for a few hours, help him get back on track. <em>Everything is good</em>. He repeated in his head a few times before drifting off to sleep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>Thousands upon thousands of alien ships were in front of him. There was no way that they would survive this attack. This was going to be total annihilation. Tony saw more aliens making their way towards the portal he’d just flown through. “Shit.” </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>JARVIS was breaking up, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered right now. All he had to do was let go, and hope that gravity did its thing. Newton said it would. He could feel Earth’s gravity trying to grab him back, pulling him back where he belonged, but then it stopped. It stopped before he was able to go through, leaving him trapped in space with thousands upon thousands of aliens staring back at him. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>His eyes burned with the explosion of the nuke. His eyes widened as he realized that this was it. He was trapped. Nowhere to go except be burnt to a crisp. “I’m not ready…” He whispered, as the flames came rushing towards him, and-</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sat up with a harsh gasp, clutching at his chest, looking for the arc reactor again. He fell off the couch, landing with a hard groan as he struggled to get his bearings. “Boss - you’ve had a nightmare.” Friday informed him, as if he wasn’t already aware. He’d forgotten that she’d been set up to recognize the issues in his penthouse, but hadn’t bothered to set up that feature of hers in LA as he knew it was a temporary residence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” He mumbled, finally getting his breathing under control as he lifted himself up off the floor. Reaching behind him, he found the cushion of the couch and sat back down on it. “FRIDAY - what time is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a little after one in the morning, boss.” Friday’s voice filled his apartment. “Would you like for me to get the coffee going?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If it was one, then that meant his body thought it was ten. Still - did it matter? No, it didn’t. He was awake, and after that horrific dream he wasn’t about to close his eyes again. “Yes. No - wait.” He looked over at his home office and contemplated firing up his laptop. “Don’t bother with the coffee.” Standing up, he crossed the room and walked into his office. “Where’s a good diner nearby?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll check the reviews and let you know in a few, boss.” Friday replied. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sat down on his chair and opened his work laptop. After installing the program, as he’d been too lazy to grab the one he’d taken to Los Angeles with him, he logged in and went to the insomnia chat group out of habit, and saw that Ben was chatting and online. Suddenly feeling a little nervous, he pulled up their private conversation and began typing. “<em>You know, for once I would love to not wake up in a blind panic. That’s the dream, isn’t it? :-/</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>If it was a dream, then it wouldn’t be real. How about we just wish for it to be our reality? :) Hey, Eds</em>.” Ben typed to him almost immediately after Tony had sent his message. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Already feeling better, Tony began to type. “<em>Hi Ben. You’re right - it would be a much better reality. What’s got you up so late? Or have you not gone to bed yet?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I took an extended nap from seven until midnight. I’m good for the moment</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Did you wake up naturally? Or have a nightmare?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>What do you think?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>My money is on nightmare</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sat forward, as he watched Ben type a reply. “<em>Ding ding ding. We have a winner, folks!</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>What do I win?</em>” Tony asked, laughing at how ridiculous that statement was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>A good night of sleep! You get some sleep! And you get some sleep! Everyone gets some sleep!</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed more, shaking his head back and forth. “Friday? Did you find a decent diner nearby?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s one near Union Station. L’Express.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect. Thanks.” Tony resumed typing. “<em>I’ve got a better idea. Let’s meet at L’Express in thirty</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Wait! Are you here?!</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Guess you’ll have to find out in a half hour. ;)</em>” He began to feel excitement coursing through him, as he hoped that Ben would say yes. “<em>Don’t worry about money. I’ll pick up the tab. Even if it’s just coffee</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>How am I going to know it’s you? I don’t know what you look like</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good point.” He looked down at his clothes. There was no way he would meet him in this sweat-soaked outfit. “<em>Make it an hour. I’ll be wearing a black hoodie with sunglasses</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>So, you’ll look like you’re robbing the joint? Cool. Can’t wait to meet you. Not</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Fine. I’ll wear a blue hoodie with sunglasses. That better for you? Like I would rob a diner. Come on, Ben. You should know me better than that by now</em>.” He waited for Ben to reply, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, much like it had been when he woke up but now it was for an entirely different reason. “<em>Don’t leave me hanging</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>An hour. L’Express. Blue hoodie, sunglasses. Got it. I’m scared, but I’ll come and meet you, Eds</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Don’t be scared. Look, if it makes you feel better, I’m nervous too. I’m really excited to finally put a face to your name. I’ll have my phone, and I’ll make sure to have our chat open. If you decide to bail, no hard feelings</em>.” Tony gave him an out. He hoped he wouldn’t take it, though. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Ben typing a reply. “<em>Thanks, Eds. I’ll see you soon, I guess? Oh my god. I’ll see you soon. :o</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Everything is good</em>.” He typed, and saw Ben reply with a smile emoticon. Standing up, he went back into his bedroom and started to search for a blue hoodie to wear. “Friday? What’s the quickest route to get to L’Express?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>True to his word, Tony wore a blue hoodie sweatshirt with a pair of sunglasses on his face. He also wore a baseball cap, hoping to disguise himself a little bit from any casual glances. But it was a little after two in the morning in New York City, and those that were out and about weren’t generally the type of people looking for autographs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He told the waitress that he was meeting someone, and they might come in asking for someone wearing a blue hoodie. She gave a nod, and then went to go tell the hostess, and pointed at where he was sitting. He waved and then looked at the menu she’d given him, the smell of delicious food permeating the air. His stomach growled as a tray was carried past him to a group of twenty-somethings who looked like they had had a fun time at a nearby club. He sure did <em>not</em> miss those days. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was getting closer to two thirty. Pulling his phone out, he opened his chat with Ben and didn’t see any new messages. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Tony left his phone on the table and then glanced back down at the menu. He heard footsteps approaching, but was too afraid to look up - he’d done that the last few times people had walked by his table. He wasn’t about to endure more disappointment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That voice. He <em>knew</em> that voice. There was no way he would not recognize that voice, as it belonged to someone who he thought about more often than he probably should, considering their relationship. And now - hearing him call him by the name he’d only given to Ben - he was about to have a heart attack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony lifted his head and saw Peter Parker standing in front of the table, looking like he was about to pass out. Couldn’t blame him, because he was feeling the same exact way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re Ben?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Well, fuck</em>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Peter walked along the street, hands deep in his pockets as he tried to shake off the nervous feelings he was having. Eds had sent him a message, and had told him he wanted to meet him. It was a risk - a <em>huge</em> risk, because he knew that he wasn’t going to be who Eds wanted him to be. Not some twenty-something, not some thirty-something. He couldn’t drink. This was going to be a major mistake. It took three different tries for him to leave through his bedroom window, using his abilities to crawl down the side of the building to make it to the street. On the third try, he stuck the landing, rather than crawled back up like he had the previous two times. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>L’Express was well lit. He knew it would be, given that it was a twenty-four hot spot in Manhattan. Peter had taken an Uber over, hoping that Happy wouldn’t question him taking it at that time of night. He’ll just say he had a lead and was checking it out, if it really came down to it. As he approached the restaurant, he began to feel queasy. Not necessarily his Peter tingle, but something very close to it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eds had given him an opportunity to back out. He could take his phone out of his pocket, and shoot him a message saying that tonight was no longer a good night to do this. But then, he’d have to go through this torture again whenever he did suggest it. <em>Might as well just get it over with it</em>. He could see the illuminated restaurant down the street, and felt his feet moving ever closer to his impending doom. What was he going to say? <em>Hey, I know I’m young, but it’s not that big of dea</em>l. Hell, maybe Eds was the same age as him. No, that wouldn’t be possible - how many people his age were out right now? <em>I’m so screwed</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walked into the restaurant, and did a quick scan of the room. There were a few people wearing blue, but only one had a hood on. That person was also wearing a hat. “Can I help you?” The hostess asked him, as he got closer to where she was standing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see my friend.” He pointed to where the person wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and hat was sitting. “Thanks, though.” Taking a deep breath, he started to walk over to where Eds was sitting, going over in his mind the best way to greet him. <em>Hey, Eds. It’s me - Ben! Nice to finally meet you!</em> No, that was too lame. He started to go through a few different ways of greeting him, but as he got closer to the table, his gait began to slow down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed the world was out to play a horrible, cruel joke on him as he recognized the person sitting at the table. Sitting at the table, wearing exactly the outfit that Eds said he was going to be wearing. <em>No no no no no no no</em>. He couldn’t believe it. <em>Oh God</em>. The closer he got to the table, the more in focus the person became. Peter was sorely tempted to just turn around and run away. There was no way in hell that he was going to go through with this. He couldn’t. He <em>couldn’t</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sitting at the table was the man who was his mentor, the man who he looked to for guidance. The man that gave him tips on how to be a better hero, and who helped make his suit better. The man that was present in his nightmares, because his subconscious liked to play awful tricks on him. He felt his soul being crushed even before he stepped up to the table, knowing that this was not going to go well. Out of all the scenarios he’d run through his head with this meeting, not <em>once</em> did he think it would be someone that he knew. Only a few more steps and he would be in front of the table. <em>Here goes nothing</em>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Tony Stark tilt his head, but kept it down. Saw him stay perfectly still as he was no doubt working out in his head that the person he’d been talking to all of this time was none other than one ‘Mr. Peter Parker’. God, just thinking about him saying that right now was making him feel ill. <em>I can do this</em>. The silence stretched out, and then Tony was lifting his head and staring up at him with disbelief written all over his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re Ben?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, his shoulders dropping as he heard Tony call him by the name he’d given him. At least he hadn’t called him by his full name. “I just called you by the name you told me, so I’d hope you would figure out that yes, I’m Ben. Do you need some other proof? I can tell you that we played Chess last night and I won three out of the five games, and you didn’t bother to tell me that you were going to be here <em>today</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trying to keep it together, Peter looked at the booth, and nodded his head. “Do you want me to join you? Or are you just going to tell me to go home and go to bed? When we both know that that isn’t going to happen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me a minute. I’m trying to process this.” Tony took off his baseball hat, and ran a hand through his hair, then put it back on his head. “Sit, Peter. Ben. Whatever. God.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>This was such a big mistake</em>. Peter sat down, but sat on the edge, leaving way more space than necessary between the two of them. If it had been anyone else than Tony, he would have slid in and been close to them. Close to Eds. Not to Tony. Never Tony. Tony Stark is untouchable. In more ways than one. <em>I shouldn’t have come</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I get you guys anything?” A waitress appeared at their table. “Some coffee? Soda? Eggs benedict?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Coffee for me.” Tony said, then looked at Peter. “What do you want?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“U-Uh, I’ll take a Coke, please.” He said, somewhat thankful that Tony hadn’t told him to leave. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is Pepsi okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded his head. “Pepsi’s great. Thanks.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll go grab those for you two. Let me know if you have any questions on the menu.” Their waitress disappeared, leaving them alone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sitting with his hands on his lap, Peter had no idea what he was supposed to say or do. As the silence stretched on, he began to wonder if Tony was just going to not bother talking to him, making him suffer through sipping a soda in the most awkward meeting between the two of them. When he heard him exhale, he took that as a somewhat good sign but still kept quiet, even when the waitress returned with their drinks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you guys need a few more minutes?” She asked, after setting both beverages down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, please.” Tony nodded. “I’ll signal when we’re ready to order.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, hon.” Their waitress disappeared again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. So. Right.” Tony started, Peter turning to look at him. But Tony wasn’t looking at him, he was looking at the table, which mildly bothered Peter but he wasn’t about to bring it up. “Ben, huh. What the hell. Why Ben? And what are you doing in a group chat, and then accepting random friend requests?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And there it was. Peter groaned, and shook his head. “You can’t lecture me about that. That’s stupid and pointless. I joined a group chat because I have problems <em>sleeping</em>. If I’m left alone with my thoughts, it gets bad. So, the internet helps me cope. I’m sure it’s the same for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you had insomnia.” Finally, Tony looked up at him with an expression on his face that he couldn’t read. “Why didn’t you tell me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many times in the past few weeks that we’ve spoken while you’ve been in Los Angeles have you told me how much I look like shit?” Peter tried not to be annoyed, but it was difficult. “You told me to not patrol because of how bad I looked. I’ve told you I have trouble sleeping. But I guess that doesn’t matter, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course it matters.” He winced when Tony’s voice got a little louder. “Sorry.” Tony sighed, and shook his head. “I want to be mad at you, but I get it. If I was in your position, I’d do the same thing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You <em>are</em> in the same position.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I meant if I was your age. The internet wasn’t a thing yet - well, not in the way it is now, when I was your age. If I was your age right now? I’d be in so much trouble. I hacked the government - that was bad enough.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter blinked a few times. “What?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter.” Tony shook his head. “No, what matters is that you shouldn’t be doing what you’re doing. What if I was a serial killer? What if I had come here with the intention of kidnapping you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not that he didn’t expect this line of questioning, it still irked him that Tony felt the need to address it. “If Eds was going to kidnap me, then he had a real messed up way of going about it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sense of security. Rip it away once you’ve got your target.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come <em>on</em>, Mr. Stark. I’m not an idiot. I knew this was going to be a risk meeting the person I’ve been talking to the last couple of months on a regular basis.” Peter grabbed his straw and dropped it into his soda, taking a sip. “Do I need to remind you that I’m a lot stronger than you? If Eds had been someone evil, I’m pretty sure I would have been able to get out of it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s that kind of cockiness that’s going to get you into real trouble one day.” Tony made a face as he sipped his coffee. “God, I should have gotten a soda. This roast is terrible.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s almost 3 am. Who’s going to make good coffee right now?” He looked down at the menu. “Can we order? I’m hungry, and I’ve got to be at school in like 4 hours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony bark out a laugh. “Now it makes sense why you avoided my question about school.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, okay??” Peter could feel the tears beginning to well up again in his eyes. “You’re right. I’m an asshole for hiding the fact that I’m a teenager. But guess what? Teenagers do dumb things. Although I wouldn’t say my friendship with Eds is dumb.” He stared down at the menu, refusing to look at Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two ready?” The waitress appeared, Peter’s eyes glued to the menu. “I saw your hand.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. I’ll take a croque madame with home potatoes. What do you want?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked at the list again. “I’ll take a lox and bagel, please. No red onion and lettuce, but yes to capers and tomato. With cottage cheese.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it. Food should be out in twenty.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the menu gone, Peter had nowhere to look except at his own hands. The silence returned, and with it the knot in his stomach increased in size. “I didn’t tell you I was coming back today because I wanted it to be a surprise. But you already knew.” Tony commented, snorting a little. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t. I knew Tony Stark was coming back today.” Peter reminded him. “I didn’t know Eds was going to be here. Why Eds? Why not give your real name? Or just your initials?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do you go by Ben?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I’m not an idiot that would give his name out to a stranger on the internet.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’d meet a stranger at a restaurant at two thirty in the morning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter knew he was right. “It’s nice to know that you don’t know my middle name.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Likewise, kid.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Shit</em>. “Why would I ever make that connection? You and I - we don’t talk that often. Okay, we do, but not as often as Eds and I do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am Eds, Pete. What you’re saying is moot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s not!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before they could argue any further, the waitress returned with a fresh glass of Pepsi for him, and had a coffee pot in her other hand. “Food will be right out.” She flashed a smile, then left them alone again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried again. “It’s not moot because I didn’t know it was <em>you</em>. I thought you were someone I didn’t know. You know what? Never mind. It doesn’t matter.” He wanted to say that he knew Eds well, would probably say that Eds knew him better than Ned did given how they seemed to talk for hours about things that he’d never talk to Ned about. But he wasn’t about to say that - not when he knew Tony wouldn’t understand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right. It doesn’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their food showed up, and Peter felt the knot in his stomach grow. He shouldn’t have ordered anything, because his appetite was now officially gone. But he wasn’t about to waste Tony’s money - he could do that any other day of the week. Picking up his prepared bagel, he took a bite and didn’t bother looking at Tony. The faster he ate, the faster he could be out of here and back home, where he could release the sadness that was building up inside of him with each passing minute. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither spoke to each other as they ate their food, and Peter was okay with that. It made it easier to finish. Setting his napkin down, he dared to take a look at Tony, and saw he was still staring at the table. Avoiding his eyes. Avoiding <em>him</em>. Peter began to wonder if it hadn’t been Tony, if it had been someone he was meeting for the first time - what would they be doing right now? Laughing? Talking about their past few nights, and how much fun it had been playing games until dawn broke? Or how Eds seemed to know what to say to get his anxiety-ridden mind some semblance of comfort? He’d never know, because he was stuck with the reality that the person he was starting to grow really fond of was Tony fucking Stark. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll drive you home.” Tony said, grabbing the check their waitress had left them, and tossed a twenty on the table for tip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can take an Uber.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I insist.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sighing, Peter nodded his head. “Fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The drive back to his apartment was as tense as it had been in the restaurant. It was almost 4 in the morning when they pulled up to his place. He was surprised when Tony put the car into park. That meant that he couldn’t just jump out and run away from his problems. <em>Damn it</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what to say.” Tony’s voice cut through the quiet car. “I’m still not sure I believe it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what else to say to make you understand that I’m Ben.” Peter countered, his hand resting on the door. “I guess we’re not going to talk anymore. Or, I guess <em>Eds</em> isn’t going to talk to Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The silence returned, making Peter’s chest ache. “I’m sorry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you’re not. And that’s okay, because if anyone should be sorry, it’s me.” Peter opened the door, and got out of the car, the tears beginning to fall as he slammed the door shut. He didn’t wait to see if Tony was going to wait or not, and instead started to climb up the side of the building to get to his room and be done with this waking nightmare. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Back in the sanctuary of his bedroom, Peter pulled his jacket off and threw it across the room, thankful it hadn’t hit anything that would have caused May to wake up. Sniffling, he went over to his bed and dropped down on it, sobbing softly into his pillow. Out of everyone in the entire universe, the one person he connected with had to be someone he already knew. <em>Tony is Eds. I can’t believe it.</em> </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew there was always going to be the possibility of things becoming weird between him and Eds after they met in person, but he never thought it would be something like this. Picking up his laptop, he decided to check the Insomniac group chat, because he needed some sort of interaction with someone. No, that wasn’t true - what he really wanted right now was to talk to Eds, but that was no longer going to be something he would get to enjoy. Sniffling, the dam broke a second time as he started to sob quietly, hating that the one good thing in his life was now over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes went to the private message that he had with Eds, and decided to open it up. “What…?” He saw that Eds was typing a message to him. He felt his heart beginning to beat faster, blinking a few times to get rid of the tears that were starting to dry up. Why was Tony typing a message to him, when he said he wasn’t going to talk to him again? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Five minutes later, a block of text appeared on his screen, his hands turning clammy as he tried to prepare himself to read what he assumed would be a diatribe that had just been sent to him. But the more he read, the more he realized it was anything but that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I don’t know why I’m bothering with this, because I had told you in the car that this conversation wouldn’t continue any further. But I can’t do that, because as much as it kills me, I’ve really connected with you in a way that I haven’t with anyone else. I hate that I know you. I hate that we know each other in real life. Would I like to go back before tonight and live with the idea of never meeting you? Tough question. Because on one hand, I’d say that’s fine - we’ll just stay internet friends. But I had to meet you. I wanted to know who you were, who has made me feel better about my nightmares. Someone who’s advice I’ve listened to time and again. Someone who I’ve become so attached to that the first thing I do after waking up is find out if you’re online. Someone who I’ve thoroughly enjoyed spending all night talking to and playing games with.</em></span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not fair that we know each other in real life. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I can’t talk to you when I can’t sleep. Because that’s not going to change - I’m still going to have issues with insomnia. But now I won’t have what I’ve grown accustomed to over the last few months. And it hurts. God, it hurts more than I really want to admit. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I need some time. Don’t ask me how much time, because I don’t know. Could be a day. Could be five weeks. The compound is off for this weekend. Keep patrolling, but not if you’re tired. If you’re still not sleeping, you are to stay home. Don’t argue with me. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I want to tell you everything is good, but it’s not. Will it be one day? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I hope so. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Like I said, I need time. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Take care of yourself, Peter</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter could handle that. Of course Tony would need time. And it made him feel a little better that Tony had the same feelings as him - that constant ache that he knew was going to be around for a bit. Rubbing his eyes, he sighed softly. Seeing as there was no point to reply, he closed the conversation and then closed his laptop. He heard May’s alarm go off, letting him know that her day was about to start. He laid down and stared up at the ceiling, his eyes threatening to water again. <em>He needs time. I have to be patient. Things will be okay. I hope</em>. Rolling over, he stared at the wall until his alarm went off, and then he went through the motions of getting ready for school. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was going to be another very long, very exhausting day. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>“You look like absolute shit.” </p>
<p>Tony lifted his head, and saw Pepper walking into his office. “Good morning to you too, Pepper. No ‘Welcome back’, or ‘How was LA’?” He sat back in his chair, his fourth cup of strong coffee just an arm’s reach away from him. </p>
<p>“Why are you here? If anyone else came into the office looking the way you look right now, they’d be sent home.” Pepper shook her head as she stopped in front of his desk. “Seriously, why are you here?” </p>
<p>“My <em>name</em> is on the building outside?” Tony knew she was going to give him shit. She always did. When his nightmares had been bad right after the battle of New York, she had taken care of him as best she could, but that hadn’t been enough. “And what gives? I’m in here working. No one has to interact with me. I thought you’d be happy I came to the office.” </p>
<p>She took a seat, then looked down at her tablet. “We weren’t expecting you back until next week.” </p>
<p>“So? I’m here now. Keep everyone on their toes.” He smirked, and picked up his mug of coffee. “What’s been going on here?” </p>
<p>“Not a whole lot. Meetings, which you hate.” She looked up from her tablet, and Tony flinched. “You’re not sleeping, are you?” </p>
<p>“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Taking another sip of his coffee, he saw her huff. “Pepper, come on.” </p>
<p>“No. Since when haven’t you been sleeping?” </p>
<p>“Look, I flew back yesterday. I’m still on LA time.” It was a weak excuse, but he hoped she would believe it. </p>
<p>She gave him a look. <em>Nope. She didn’t buy it</em>. “Don’t treat me like I don’t know you. I remember what you look like when you aren’t sleeping. And it’s how you look right now. What’s going on?” </p>
<p>“Same shit, different day.” Tony wouldn’t elaborate. After dropping Peter off this morning, he’d come back to the tower and had immediately thrown himself into work. He hadn’t bothered to take another shower, nor had he tried to lay down. His head was throbbing, but he wasn’t sure if it was because of the lack of sleep, or because of what happened with Peter. </p>
<p><em>Peter</em>. </p>
<p>When he had seen him at L’Express, he didn’t want to believe. It couldn’t be true. The person he was falling for was someone he already knew. Someone he was already beginning to have those same feelings, but was stopping himself because he knew it was morally unethical for him to feel like that. And after Peter had said things to him that he knew only Ben would know, it only made it more painfully clear to Tony that this was wrong. He shouldn’t have relied so heavily on Ben - on <em>Peter</em> - to help him with his issues. </p>
<p>The real problem was he missed him. He missed the idea of him. Of knowing that no matter what he was doing, he could always send a note to Ben and know that it was going to be okay. <em>Everything is good</em>. There was no way he was going to be able to continue that line of thinking with how it was now - knowing that Peter Parker, who wasn’t even seventeen yet, was the person that had thoroughly captured his mind and heart. </p>
<p>“Earth to Tony.” Fingers snapped, bringing him out of his head. “Oh, there you are. Nice to know that my status report was that engrossing that you checked out.” Pepper stood up from the chair, and gave him another look. “Go home. Take a sedative, and pass out.” </p>
<p>He stood up and walked her to the door. “You’re not the boss of me, Ms. Potts.” </p>
<p>“I’m the CEO. I am definitely the boss of you.” She smirked as he opened the door. “I mean it, Tony. Go lay down before you wind up hurting yourself.” </p>
<p>That had already happened earlier in the morning. “I’ll see what I can do. I’m not needed for any important meetings?”  </p>
<p>“No. You’d only be a distraction. Go, enjoy the weekend. We don’t need you here today. If something important comes up, I’ll send you a text.” Pepper tucked her tablet under her arm. “I mean it, Tony. You need to sleep.” </p>
<p>“Thanks for your concern. I’ll see you on Monday.” He shooed her out of his office, then closed the door. </p>
<p>Tony knew she was right. He should go upstairs, take a sedative so he can pass out and not think about how shitty his life is at the moment. Okay, maybe that was a little extreme. Grabbing his things, he took his private elevator up to the penthouse, and proceeded to head to his master bedroom. The closer he got to his bed, the more tired he began to feel. But then that tiredness made him think about Ben, which then led to thoughts about Peter. </p>
<p><em>Peter</em>. </p>
<p>His heart hurt from everything that had happened only a little while ago. There had been no reply to his message on their chat, not that he was surprised by that. He didn’t expect Peter to say anything, but there had been a small part of him that wished that he would have. Defy him, and talk to him even though he’d said that their friendship as Eds and Ben was over. There was no way that Peter wasn’t hurting right now, like how he was hurting. And <em>that</em> made him hurt more, because he never wanted to make Peter feel bad. Ever. </p>
<p>Yanking the tie from around his throat, he threw his shirt and slacks into a haphazard pile and then dropped down onto his bed. “Friday - hold all of my calls.” He mumbled, knowing that the AI had heard him perfectly. </p>
<p>“You got it, boss.” </p>
<p>He got under the covers, and closed his eyes. He could see Peter’s face, hear the sadness in his voice at the realization that what they’d been sharing was now going to be over. A weary sigh left his mouth as he felt the sadness returning full force. He’d done a good job at pushing it away after sending that message to him, but now it was back and he was slowly starting to crumble. </p>
<p>It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. </p>
<p>That was his final thought before he passed out, dead to the world. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p><em>Using Friday and a drone, Tony saved Peter from potential death. Or so he thought. He could see Peter falling from the sky, falling faster than he could get the Iron Man drone to him. It was a race against time -  and he wasn’t going to have enough. He got the suit there but it wasn’t fast enough. The drone arrived as soon as Peter’s body hit the water with a loud crash, making a horrible noise like multiple bones breaking</em>. </p>
<p>Gasping for breath, Tony sat up and grabbed his chest. The arc reactor still wasn’t there, but old habits die hard. He couldn’t catch his breath, still panicky from his dream. It had been a <em>long</em> time since he’d had a dream like that, one that involved Peter. He couldn’t help but think that it was because of what happened the night before that made his subconscious play a cruel joke on him. </p>
<p>He grabbed the bottle of water off of his nightstand and took a long drink. Finally able to breathe again, he flopped back onto his pillow and stretched. “Friday - what time is it?” </p>
<p>“A little after eleven in the morning, boss.” </p>
<p>“Thanks.” He picked up his phone and saw that he had no missed calls, and a few emails from Pepper in his inbox. His heart was still racing, the mild anxiety from the dream sticking with him a little bit longer than he would have liked. </p>
<p>A little after eleven - that meant that Peter was still in school. If he timed it right, he could go and meet him after class was done. But then that would send mixed signals, wouldn’t it? He sighed, rubbing his eyes again before standing up from the bed. There was no way he was going to be able to stay away from Peter. Ben. Peter. Shit. He <em>needed</em> that communication. He relied on it too much to cut it out of his life cold turkey. He’d never been good at quitting things cold turkey anyway. </p>
<p>Pulling up the chat program on his phone, he opened his message with ‘Ben’, and began to type. “<em>I’m going to pick you up from school. I’ll be on the west side of the building. Don’t make me wait too long</em>. <em> ”  </em></p>
<p><em> “ </em> <em>I thought we weren’t going to be talking on here anymore</em>.” </p>
<p>He smirked, and began to type a response. “<em>I told you I needed time. And I had it. I’m going to pick you up. 3:15 work?</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>It works. I’m tired, though. So, if you could take me home? That’d be great</em>.” </p>
<p>Tony couldn’t tell if Peter was being serious, sarcastic, or a combination of both. “<em>I’ll see you at 3:15. Yes, I’ll take you home. Now go pay attention in class. :p</em>” </p>
<p>“<em>Quit texting me, then! :p</em>” </p>
<p>Okay, <em>that</em> felt normal. Tony breathed a little easier, as he looked at that last text again. It felt <em>nice</em> talking to him again like that. The ache that had been present since meeting Peter earlier in the morning was starting to dull, which eased his mind a little. He wasn’t quite there yet, but he knew that these were the first steps to take in order to get back to something resembling normalcy. And this was a good first step. </p>
<p>“Friday? Set my alarm for one.” He closed his eyes, waiting to hear the confirmation from his AI. </p>
<p>“One pm alarm set, boss.” </p>
<p>He didn’t bother to say anything, and instead let the exhaustion carry him to sleep. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Friday’s alarm brought him out of his slumber, his head pounding a little as he tried to force himself to wake up. “I’m up.” He grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he struggled to sit up. “Friday - you can kill the alarm now.” </p>
<p>“Coffee is brewing for you, boss.” </p>
<p>“Thanks.” Tony yawned, and reached for his phone. He saw that he had a notification from Peter on the chat program, rather than a normal text message. Curious to see what he sent, he opened the message and that feeling returned to his chest - that hit of nostalgia that he associated with his youth. </p>
<p>“<em>I’m not sure why you texted me, or why you want to pick me up, but I’ve been thinking about it. I’m scared, Eds. I don’t want this to go away again because you get to decide what’s best for me. That’s how it always is with you. Tell me that this isn’t a mistake. Tell me you’re not going to shut me out because you’re uncomfortable that I am who I am. Sorry, this has been on my mind since you sent your text. You’re probably busy with work right now. I’ll see you after school</em>.” </p>
<p>Peter had every right to feel that way, and he was a little glad that he had the courage to send that message. And the fact that he called him ‘Eds’ made it a little easier to swallow. If he’d sent that on their normal way of texting each other, he might have been a little put off. But this was Ben talking to him. </p>
<p>“<em>I was taking a nap. We’ll talk when I see you in a couple of hours. Stop looking at your phone</em>.” He sent the message and then stood up from his bed with a stretch and a groan. “At least I didn’t wake up terrified.” </p>
<p>He made a quick lunch, and then took a shower to feel a little refreshed before getting ready to go pick up Peter. He’d picked him up from school numerous amounts of times, but this felt different. It <em>was</em> different, but he didn’t know why. Grabbing the keys to his convertible, he headed down to the garage and tried to give himself a pep talk. </p>
<p>“Okay, this isn’t any different. Everything is fine. It’s Peter. I don’t have to freak myself out about this.” He threw his keys up and down, catching them in the palm of his hand as he walked towards the car, which was already running. He got in and adjusted the mirrors, still trying to calm down. “I’ve driven him home before. This isn’t anything new. We’re the same as we were two days ago.” </p>
<p>Now <em>that</em> was a lie. And he knew it. They couldn’t be the same. Not after finding out who they were to each other. <em>God, what a mess</em>. He pulled out of his parking spot and headed out. The drive to Peter’s school was slow, Friday afternoon traffic making the streets annoyingly crowded. But Tony got there five minutes before their meeting time, parking on the west side of the school. His heart began to pound, his palms began to sweat. Again, those feelings returned as he waited anxiously for Peter to show up as kids started to pour out of the school in a tidal wave of commotion. </p>
<p>The passenger door opened without a warning, causing Tony to jump for a split second then settled as he saw Peter drop his bag on the floor and then sat down on the passenger seat. “Hey, Mr. Stark.” Peter greeted him, keeping his head turned as he closed the door. “Thanks for the ride. I was honestly afraid that I might fall asleep on the bus ride back home. I’ve done that before. It’s not fun.” </p>
<p>“Of course you have.” Tony shook his head, as he turned the car back on, hiding his smile from Peter. “Buckle up.” </p>
<p>The sound of his buckle going into the locking mechanism gave him peace of mind to put the car into drive. As they drove, Tony kept his eyes on the road, wondering if he should start talking or if it would be better to wait until they were at a stoplight. But it would seem that he didn’t have to worry about that because it seemed that Peter had no problem filling the silence. </p>
<p>“Are you not going to talk to me still?” There was fear present in Peter’s voice. He knew that tone, as he’d heard it a few times while they had been doing joint exercises at the compound. “Because if that’s the case, this is really messed up. You told me to give you space, and now you’re forcing me into it with no option but to deal with it. No offense, Mr. Stark, but-” </p>
<p>“Ben. Relax.” He heard Peter stop talking, and felt his own anxiety slowly disappearing as he realized that he’d called him by his online name. For whatever reason, it made it easier. “It’s a little busy on the road right now, so I’m keeping quiet as a safety precaution.” </p>
<p>“Can’t Friday drive your car?” </p>
<p>“She can, but I trust my judgement more than I trust hers right now.” </p>
<p>“Why?” </p>
<p>“Because you’re in the car with me.” </p>
<p>It was true. Anyone else, and he’d let his AI take over, but with Peter - Peter, he wanted to keep safe. And if he could control that, then he would. He heard a soft ‘Oh’, and then the silence returned. </p>
<p>“Do you want me to drive you home?” Tony asked, as they sat at a stoplight, waiting for it to change to green. </p>
<p>“I thought that’s what you were doing.” </p>
<p>“Is May going to be home?” </p>
<p>“Not likely. I think she’s working another double today.” Peter shook his head. </p>
<p>Tapping his finger on the wheel, Tony turned to look at Peter. Really looked at him, which he hadn’t done when they had seen each other at the restaurant earlier. “Let’s go back to my place for a bit. I know no one will bother us there.” </p>
<p>“Sure, Eds.”</p>
<p>Tony smiled at that name, and saw Peter’s cheeks turn a little pink. He was about to say something else, but then the car behind them honked, which put his attention back forward. He put both hands on the wheel and began to drive. </p>
<p>When they got to the tower, Tony pulled into the garage and parked in his designated spot. Peter had been to his apartment plenty of times to know the routine, leading the way over to his private elevator that would take them directly up to his penthouse. They both took their shoes off after stepping off the elevator into his penthouse apartment, Tony heading to the kitchen to start another pot of coffee. He didn’t bother saying anything to Peter, as he knew he’d go and do what he wanted. </p>
<p>He grabbed a can of Coke for Peter, then poured himself a mug full of coffee. He saw Peter was sitting on the couch, looking out at Manhattan with a somewhat strained expression on his face. Not wanting to startle him, Tony held the can in front of him as he approached him from behind. “Figure you might need the sugar and caffeine.” Peter still jumped though, which made him bite back a chuckle. “Where’s that spidey sense of yours?” </p>
<p>“Dampened because I’m exhausted.” Peter took the can from him. “Thanks.” </p>
<p>Sitting down opposite him, Tony held his mug with both hands and looked at Peter. “So.” </p>
<p>“So.” </p>
<p>“I guess we might as well just get right to this, huh.” He took another sip, then set the mug down. “Do you know how Eds felt about Ben?” </p>
<p>Peter looked away, and gave a small nod of his head. “I think so? I don’t know. I’m bad at reading stuff. I want to say that we’ve flirted? But what the hell do I know? For all I know, you could have just been nice to me.” </p>
<p>“Column A and Column B.” Tony nodded, his hands becoming damp with sweat. “Eds was really falling hard for Ben. Still is.” </p>
<p>Tony met Peter’s gaze head on, refusing to look away. “What are you saying?” </p>
<p>“I’m saying that this whole entire situation is completely fucked up.” He wanted to jump up, pace - do <em>something</em> besides sit here and have this dialogue as if they were two tennis players hitting a ball back and forth, but instead of a ball it was their words. “I don’t want to stop talking to Ben, because Ben has made a pretty positive impact in my life. I <em>try</em> and sleep for him, because I know that’s what he wants me to do.” </p>
<p>“I do the same thing.” Peter put both of his feet on the couch, drawing his knees up to his chest. “I know Eds wants me to sleep, so I try for him. Sometimes it works, but most times-” </p>
<p>“It doesn’t.” Tony nodded, leaning back against the cushions to make himself more comfortable. “I’m still having a little trouble realizing it’s you. It’s getting easier, though.” </p>
<p>“Is that why you called me Ben in the car?” </p>
<p>“Yes.” He wasn’t going to lie to him. “Sorry about that. That’s unfair, isn’t it?” </p>
<p>Wrapping his arms around his bent knees, Peter shook his head. “I don’t think so. I liked it. Whenever you use my full name, it freaks me out because I’m afraid I’ve done something wrong.” </p>
<p>“That’s why you called me Eds.” </p>
<p>“I called you Eds because you called me Ben. There’s a difference.” Peter yawned a little, then grabbed his Coke to take a sip. “I can call you Mr. Stark.” </p>
<p>“Kid, I don’t care what you call me.” Tony reached for his mug and brought it up to his lips. “Okay, that’s not true. I did like hearing you call me Eds. It was-” </p>
<p>“Nice.” </p>
<p>He nodded his head as he took a sip, then returned it to the coffee table. Figuring it would be better to find this out now than be surprised by it later, Tony decided to just ask it outright. “How does Ben feel about Eds?”</p>
<p>“Before last night?” </p>
<p>“Or now. Or both.”  </p>
<p>“Before last night, he was over the moon about him. Couldn’t wait for him to come online. Couldn’t wait to play games. Couldn’t wait to talk, and not be afraid of the nightmares.” The words were a bit rushed, as it seemed the caffeinated beverage was doing the trick of perking the teen up. “Now? Now he’s confused as fuck about it all because of who Eds is. Sorry for swearing.” </p>
<p>Tony got up and went over to sit next to Peter, who hadn’t moved which he took as a good sign. Maybe. It was fifty-fifty at the moment. “You’re allowed to swear in this apartment. You’re sixteen. It’s not like I’m going to call the cops because you said the f word.” </p>
<p>“I’m apologizing out of courtesy. Not because I think you’re going to do something to me.” Peter was quick to reply, causing Tony to smirk. “If you’d rather I be rude to you, then fine. <em>Fuck</em>.” </p>
<p>His smirk turned to a smile as he began to laugh. “Have you always been like this? I’m mad that I’ve never seen this side of you.” Tony resisted the urge to reach over and ruffle the curls that were on top of Peter’s head. </p>
<p>“You intimidate me.” A small shrug of his shoulders told Tony everything he needed to know. “That’s why when I saw you last night, I almost ran away. I couldn’t handle knowing that the person I’ve been crushing on digitally is someone I know I have no business entertaining such thoughts about. Because you’re Tony Stark.” </p>
<p>“And you’re Peter Parker.” He held his hand out, and was amused when Peter took it and shook it. “It’s so very nice to meet you. Been a big fan of yours for a year.” </p>
<p>“You’re <em>so</em> funny, Eds.” </p>
<p>He laughed again, pulling his hand away from Peter. “Careful, Ben. That sarcasm of yours is lethal.” </p>
<p>“You’re flirting with me right now, aren’t you?” </p>
<p>Tony felt the air change around them with Peter’s astute acknowledgement. “What do you think?” He didn’t deny, nor did he agree with the question. He was curious to see how Peter would react to learning that, to help give him a baseline on what can be discussed now that they know who they are to one another. </p>
<p>“I don’t know. I want to believe you are, but then look at me. Why? Why would you, when I’m nobody?” Peter shook his head, as he reached for the can of soda and took one last swallow. </p>
<p>His eyes were drawn to the way Peter’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down with each swallow, the blood in his body beginning to spread to areas that weren’t necessarily appropriate in present company. “It’s amazing that you heard nothing I said earlier. Astounding. One of the brightest minds, and yet can be so unbelievably stupid.” </p>
<p>“Excuse me??” The empty can dropped onto the table, as Peter stood up. “I don’t need you to say mean things to me, <em>Eds</em>.” <em>Ouch. I deserved that</em>. “I can get picked on by assholes at school.” He started to walk towards the elevator. “I’m going to go. I’m tired. I need to sleep. I’ve got homework, and I need to patrol still.” </p>
<p>Getting up off the couch, Tony followed Peter. “Wait, stop.” He put his hand out and touched Peter’s shoulder, stepping back when he turned around fast to face him. “Ben - come on.” He tried again, holding his hands up as if to ward off whatever Peter was going to do. </p>
<p>“What do you want me to say? You just called me <em>stupid</em>, Eds.” He heard the anger in Peter’s voice. “What makes you think I want to stick around after that?” </p>
<p>“You’re right. Why would you? I was teasing you, but clearly your tiredness has taken a hold of that smart brain of yours. Oh, right. And you said that why would I care about someone like you, when you’re nobody.” Tony stepped closer, pleased to see that Peter hadn’t bothered to step back, allowing him into his personal space. “You really should listen to yourself. Or better yet, listen to what I say to you.” </p>
<p>“I <em>am</em>.” </p>
<p>“You’re <em>not</em>.” Taking one step closer, he looked down into Peter’s eyes, his stomach on a freefall mission as their eyes locked on to each other. </p>
<p>“What did I miss? What did I not hear, then?” </p>
<p>“I told you that Eds was falling for Ben.” Tony put his hand on Peter’s face, and felt how warm his cheek was. How smooth his skin was compared to his own lined face. A soft gasp left Peter’s mouth as Tony found the perfect spot to rest his thumb, slowly lowering his head towards him as his fingers curled into the soft strands of hair below Peter’s earlobe. “I told you that he still is.” </p>
<p>He saw Peter’s eyelids flutter closed, watched as he parted his lips as if waiting - waiting for that next step. Tony was torn. He wanted to close the gap, but he knew in doing so that would create their own private nightmare that might wind up costing more than either are willing to admit. He already knew that he didn’t want to stop talking to Peter, he <em>needed</em> him but this - was this the right path for them? A soft utterance from Peter sealed the decision. “<em>Please</em>, Eds…” </p>
<p>Dropping his head, he brought his lips to Peter’s. Soft, hesitant kisses happened over and over, as Tony got a feel for Peter’s lips. Listened to his soft moans that were sweeter than any sound he’d heard before in his life. He sealed his mouth over Peter’s, and pushed his tongue in, tasting the cola and sugar on his tongue, both groaning at different pitches as they really kissed each other for the first time. </p>
<p>His fingers tightened their hold in Peter’s hair, and with his own soft gasp he pulled his lips away from his. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He asked, slightly breathless as he looked at Peter’s kiss swollen lips, relaxing his hold on his face. </p>
<p>“Definitely not.” Peter’s voice had its own breathlessness to it. “W-Will it happen again?” </p>
<p>“Do you want it to?” Tony asked, dragging his lips back and forth against Peter’s jawline. </p>
<p>“I do, but…” </p>
<p>“But…?” He kissed a path from his jaw back to his lips, swallowing a moan that left Peter’s mouth and held it in his own as their tongues found each other again. More aggressive strokes by the teen, his own tongue now along for the ride as their kiss continued with his own low moans disappearing into the teen’s mouth. “But what, Ben…?” </p>
<p>“We shouldn’t….” </p>
<p>“You’re right.” With reluctance, he pulled away from Peter a second time, and saw blown out pupils staring up at him, Peter in the same state of arousal and denial as himself. “We shouldn’t. Thank you for letting me know what it would feel like to kiss you. Lord knows I’ve imagined it enough times in my head.” </p>
<p>Peter stared up at him. “You’ve thought about kissing Ben? Or me?” </p>
<p>“Both.” Tony admitted out loud for the first time. </p>
<p>“Oh, God.” </p>
<p>“You can say that again.” </p>
<p>An arm wrapped around his neck, and pulled him back towards Peter’s face. “O-One more, then I’ll leave. We’ll go back to how it was before. Ignorant that we know each other. Please, Mr. Stark.” </p>
<p>“If that’s what you want.” He nodded his head, his lips already back on Peter’s, kissing him as he spoke. “Whatever you want…” </p>
<p>Their mouths came back together, fervent kisses escalating to the point that Tony wrapped both of his arms around Peter, and pushed him up against the wall, needing to be closer to his. As close as he physically could be as they kept kissing each other, tongues rolling together inside Peter’s mouth, then in his own. He could feel Peter’s hips push against his, their groins lining up perfectly as their kiss continued. Tony moaned low as he rocked against him, pleased when he felt Peter return the push, their kisses growing more intense as their hips led with a mind of their own.</p>
<p>“Boss, Pepper’s on the line for you. She says it’s urgent.” Friday’s voice disrupted their intense makeout session, leaving both panting hard as they stared at one another. </p>
<p>“Tell her I’ll call her back.” </p>
<p>“She’s on her way up here. Regular elevator.” </p>
<p>WIth his spider reflexes, he saw Peter grab both his backpack and shoes, and sprinted to his private elevator. “I’ll call you later.” Tony promised, as Peter disappeared into the elevator. </p>
<p>“You’d better.” The smile on his face put one on his own, even though it pained him that Peter had to leave so quickly, when they had just reached a turning point. </p>
<p>Adjusting himself, he went over and picked up his mug of cold coffee and went to the kitchen to pour himself another cup. Pulling his phone out, he sent a message to Peter through their chat program. “<em>I’m going to be thinking about that kiss for the rest of the night. Get home safely. Let me know when you get there. Everything is good</em>.” </p>
<p>“<em>You’re telling me. And I will. Have fun with Ms. Potts. And yes - everything is good</em>.” </p>
<p>“Tony, why aren't you answering your phone?” Speak of the devil. He looked up, and saw Pepper walking out of the elevator as he put his phone down, hoping his happiness wasn’t showing on his face at the moment. “I know I said I wouldn’t bother you since I sent you home, but I need your signature on these papers.” </p>
<p>“Sorry, Pep. I was busy with some stuff.” He finished pouring the coffee, and motioned for her to come over to the kitchen island. “What can I help you with?” </p>
<p>He grabbed a pen and began to sign, nodding his head as Pepper told him what he was signing, not really listening as the only thing on his mind at the moment was one Peter Parker. How soft his lips had been, how hot it was to kiss him. How <em>nice</em> it felt to touch his tongue to his, and feel his body against his. </p>
<p>At least they had resolved their issues. Too bad a whole new set had just presented itself to them. </p>
<p><em>God damn it</em>. </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Peter practically ran home, full of energy that hadn’t been there when he’d been in school. No, he thought he was going to die from both his lack of sleep, and from his heart hurting so bad because of meeting up with Tony. But now? Now he was on cloud nine, and nothing bad could hurt him. After leaving Stark Tower, he ran to the subway and got on the train, then ran to his connection a few stops later, and then back out topside in his neighborhood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoa, slow down!” Peter slid into the apartment, and heard May’s voice coming from the kitchen. “Peter, careful!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, and corrected his balance as he looked up at his aunt and grinned. “Hey May! I didn’t think you’d be home.” Guess it was a good idea that they went back to Tony’s instead of coming here. That would have been <em>awkward</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have a good day at school or something? You’re all smiles.” May went back into the kitchen, Peter following her. “Dinner will be ready in about an hour. I hope you’re not hungry. Are you going out tonight? You know, as Spiderman?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nodding his head, he stepped behind May to see what she was cooking for them. “Probably not until later tonight. Around nine or ten. I want to try and get a nap in.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You still having trouble sleeping, sweetie?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sometimes. It was a long day.” He readjusted his backpack, and then looked over to his room. “Maybe I’ll try and get a few winks in right now. You said I have an hour?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you want to sleep, I can make it be an hour and a half.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kissing her cheek, he nodded. “Thanks, Aunt May. I appreciate that.” Peter headed to his bedroom, and closed the door behind him. As he was setting his backpack down, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw that it was ‘IMTS’ calling him and felt his heartbeat return to that of a jackhammer. Answering it, he brought the phone to his ear and pushed himself away from his closed door. “Perfect timing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was it? Good. I thought I had called you too late.” Tony’s voice filled his chest with warmth. “Was afraid you were going to be upset because I didn’t call you sooner.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got home about ten minutes ago.” Peter went over to his bed and sat on the lower bunk. “Ms. Potts still there?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, she left about fifteen minutes ago. I was busy working up the courage to call you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, and covered his face with his arm as he flopped backwards onto the mattress. “Why? It’s not like we didn’t talk on the phone before all of this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sound happy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Funny, that’s what May said too.” Peter felt his cheeks growing warm again at Tony’s comment. “I guess it’s because I am. And I’m not entirely sure I’m in the right state of mind. For all I know, I could be asleep right now, as this amazing dream plays out. Because this can’t be real life.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Trust me, when you can’t sleep tonight, you’ll realize that you are actually experiencing what you just called ‘real life’.” He could hear the amusement in Tony’s voice. “What’s so surprising that’s got you second guessing if you’re awake or not?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This. You. The kisses. God, the <em>kisses</em>.” He touched his bottom lip, the memory of Tony’s lips against his still so very fresh in his mind. He heard Tony chuckle, which caused another wave of warmth to wash over his entire body. “That happened, right? Or did I imagine that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you had imagined that, I would hope that you wouldn’t have brought Pepper into the scenario. Because that was awful timing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, and nodded his head. “Yeah, good point. Anyway, I’m home safe. Are you going to go take a nap? Because that’s what I’m about to do. Assuming I can fall asleep. I’m a little giddy at the moment.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know the feeling.” Tony’s voice took on a quality he’d never heard before, and it made his heart beat wildly. “Yeah, I think I’ll try, even though I’m hyped up on I’m not even sure how many cups of coffee I’ve had now. Ten? Maybe twelve? I don’t know. It’s been a very long, surreal day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll say.” Peter moved to be more on the bed, rolling over onto his side. “I’m going to go patrol tonight. Probably around nine or ten. At least, that’s what I told May.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ll be responsible, and be safe. All that business.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nodding his head, Peter could feel himself starting to get a little drowsy. “Of course, Eds. If I’m too tired, I won’t bother. Not like I’ll sleep either.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you can’t sleep, you know where to find me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you mean literally, or figuratively?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I say literally, does that mean you’ll show up at my doorstep?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The flirtatious tone was undeniable in Tony’s voice. It made Peter hold the phone a little harder, as he couldn’t believe that this was still an actual thing. “I don’t know. I would think that Spiderman wouldn’t necessarily head into Manhattan, but stranger things have happened.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know how to get in if you want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do. Go take a nap. Here’s hoping the nightmares stay away for now.” Peter spoke softly, not really ready to say goodbye but knew that he had to otherwise he might wind up falling asleep on the phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony grunt a little. “You do the same. Go sleep without bad dreams too. We’ll meet in dreamland.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That would be wonderful.” He yawned. “Okay, I gotta go. Talk to you soon, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Night, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It made him smile, hearing Tony call him by that name. Ending the call, he put his phone on his charger and then picked up his pillow to find a better position for his head. Once he was settled, he closed his eyes and silently prayed that there would be no nightmares during this, hopefully, short nap. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter wasn’t sure what made him do it. Maybe it had been all the talk earlier with Tony, or he was just a glutton for his own punishment. Whatever the case may be, he wound up at Stark Tower at a quarter to midnight after patrolling Queens for a good three hours. Still in his Spiderman suit, he approached the private entrance in the garage. Taking off the mask, he allowed the computer to scan his retina, and went inside the elevator. His hand trembled as he reached for the button to take him up to Tony’s penthouse, then the elevator began to ascend. He put his mask back on, and leaned back against the cabin as he took deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Color me surprised.” Tony was standing at the elevator, a smirk on his lips with both of his arms crossed over his chest. “I didn’t think you would take me up on my offer to ‘swing’ by after your rounds. What’s with the mask?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled it off, and shook his hair out. “I don’t know why I’m here. It was stupid, wasn’t it? I should just head back home. There’s no reason for me to be here right now. I figured since I would just go home and sit on my computer, why not just be with the source of my entertainment while I can’t sleep?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why I told you to come by.” A hand touched his shoulder, and then Peter was turning around to give Tony a proper hug. “Hey, Ben.” Tony’s voice drifted into his ear at a decibel that a normal human wouldn’t be able to hear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His arms held a little tighter as a small thrill went through his body at hearing Tony speak to him that way. “Hi, Eds.” He whispered, then dropped his arms. Stepping back, he looked down at himself. “Yeah, I didn’t really think this through. I’m sure the suit doesn’t smell that great right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What <em>is</em> that unique smell that’s on you?” Tony started to walk towards his bedroom. He nodded his head towards Peter, who began to follow him. “Did you fall in some sewer water?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. And fell into a dumpster. Then back in the sewer again. It’s been an evening.” Peter didn’t think he smelled <em>that</em> bad, but he was used to it. Karen had said it wouldn’t be too bad, but then again she was his suit’s AI and probably couldn’t be the best judge. “If it smells too much, I can go take a quick shower?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You probably would feel better if you did.” Tony walked over to his dresser, and grabbed a pair of lounge pants and a shirt he knew Tony wore often. “These’ll be a little big on you, but at least you won’t have to sit in your underwear. Unless you want to do that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smirk and wiggle of Tony’s eyebrow made Peter’s cheeks turn three shades of red. “N-No, I’m good!” He grabbed the clothes that were tossed to him. “Are there towels in the guest bathroom?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bottom shelf. Knock yourself out. I’ll make some coffee, and get us set up to play some old fashioned chess?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds good, thanks.” Peter grinned, and then headed to the other side of the penthouse to use the guest bathroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking his phone out of the designed compartment in his suit, he sent a text to his aunt. “<em>It’s a late night doing superhero stuff. I might be home super late. Don’t worry about waking me up. Love you</em>.” After she’d discovered his secret identity, she had been insistent that he tell her if he’s not going to be home, which he had abided by. Peeling the rest of his suit off, he was thankful that his underwear was dry and not gross by any standards. Setting them with the clean clothes that Tony had given to him, he turned around and got into the shower. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had gotten a little sleep after getting off the phone with Tony, and had woken up to May knocking on his door announcing that dinner was ready. He begged for a little more sleep, which she had agreed to. He slept until almost eight thirty, being rudely awakened by a minor nightmare. This time he’d been on the plane trying to stop Vulture, and had miscalculated a step and had fallen off the plane. He’d panicked, sitting up fast as he had gasped for breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter had sent a text to Tony through their chat, and after a few reminders that he was awake, he had calmed down. After a quick dinner, he’d suited up and gone out to patrol Queens which had turned into quite a mess, but had been successful all the same. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Picking up the shampoo, he washed his hair and hummed a little to himself. He wasn’t very tired, and kind of glad he’d had the courage to come here. <em>This is insane</em>. It was, but it wasn’t going to be any different than what he would be doing at home right now. He just has the luxury of getting to spend time physically with the person he was spending his time with digitally. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rinsed off, and then turned the water off. As he dried off, he started to think about the last time he’d been here which was a mistake as he was now sporting a minor hard on. <em>Come on, body. Not now</em>. He struggled to keep his hormones in check, as he thought about Tony’s lips on his. Could it happen again? That wasn’t why he was here. He came because he would rather be face to face with Eds than type messages back and forth. But what if Tony thought that’s why he was here? <em>Ugh. Would he?? Maybe? Crap</em>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankful that the guest bathroom was stocked with a supply of brand new deodorant, Peter used some and then quickly brushed his teeth with a brand new toothbrush. He’d asked Tony about these things a long time ago, as he’d come back to the penthouse on a few different occasions after a mission and Tony had said that being in the Avengers meant he had to be ready at a moment’s notice for any of his team to show up and need help. Peter tucked the toothbrush and deodorant into his suit and left the bathroom, Tony’s shirt slightly baggy on him and his pants definitely loose around the waist but thank God for drawstrings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, let me take that.” Tony got up from the dining room table and walked over to him. “You took these?” He asked, unbundling the suit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one else should use them!” Peter nodded, as he saw Tony roll his eyes. “What? Did I do something wrong? Why would someone else use the deodorant that I used myself?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right. They shouldn’t. I just figured you would keep them in the bathroom. You know, in case you decide to do this again in the future. They could be yours.” Peter watched as Tony took the suit over to a hidden panel in the wall that had a heavy duty washing machine and dryer built into it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter had no idea what to say to that. “That’s a good idea.” He went over to Tony and took the two items back. “I’ll just leave them in the medicine cabinet?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one touches that, so yes. That will work.” Tony threw the suit into the wash, and started a cycle. “You’re lucky I can wash this here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After putting the two items in the medicine cabinet, Peter walked back out to the living room and headed straight for the dining room table. He saw that Tony had set up his chessboard, and saw a can of Coke waiting for him at his spot. Sitting down, he looked across at Tony, who was looking at the board, contemplating his first move. “Thanks, Eds.” He tapped the soda before opening it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m probably doing something terrible by letting you drink that at shit after midnight, but if we’re going to be awake might as well be alert. Since you don’t do coffee because of your anxiety.” Tony said, as he picked up his pawn and moved it on the board. “Which, by the way, how are you feeling now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a sip of his soda, Peter looked at Tony’s move and then picked up his own pawn and played a move. “Better. Thanks. I hope I didn’t wake you up when I called?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did, but I don’t care.” Tony’s hand touched his left hand, which was resting on the table. “You can call me any time of the day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate that I woke you up.” He winced, looking back down at the board as he waited for Tony to make his next move. “But I appreciate it. You have no idea.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I do.” Featherlight touches to the back of his hand caused a slight tingle to race up his arm. “I’m glad you’re here right now, Eds. It’s much nicer getting to do this in person than through the computer.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter smiled, and nodded his head as he looked up and saw Tony looking at him. “Too bad it’s your move. Quit stalling, Eds.” He teased, and saw Tony smile before looking down at the board. He turned his hand over, and soon felt Tony’s fingers trace an invisible line on the palm of his hand, more little electric-like shots shooting up his arm as he felt warmth begin to flow up his forearm all the way up to his neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m doing no such thing.” Tony replied, as he continued to stare at the board. “I’m taking my time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re <em>stalling</em>.” Peter returned, trying to maintain his composure as he felt Tony’s nail graze his palm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you thinking about right now?” It was a question that one always asked the other while they were playing chess. It was a way to distract the other from their move. “Tell me and I’ll make my move.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. It would be easier to tell the truth if he didn’t have to see Tony’s penetrating gaze. “The way your hand is touching mine. How I want to be closer to you, but I don’t know how. I don’t want you to think that the only reason I came over here was for some….booty call.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t invite you over here for that.” The finger on his palm was now drawing a pattern. “I invited you over because I know you have trouble falling asleep after patrol. Since you said you were going out tonight, I assumed you would still be awake.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You assumed right.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t thinking about those same exact things myself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He opened his eyes and looked across the table at Tony, who was looking directly at him. “I don’t know what to do. My experience with this stuff is so small. What if I make a mistake?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t.” Tony’s hand wrapped around his wrist. Peter found himself being pulled towards him, moving out of his chair to sit on Tony’s lap facing him. “You couldn’t possibly make any mistake, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s stomach rolled, as he brought both of his arms up to be around the other’s neck. He could feel heat radiating off the lower half of Tony’s body onto his own, or maybe it was the other way. He didn’t know. “I’m nervous.” He whispered, closing his eyes as he dropped his forehead to Tony’s shoulder. “Scared. No, <em>terrified</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t have to do anything.” A soft kiss to his neck made him release a soft moan. Tilting his head more as if with a silent invitation, he felt the scratch of Tony’s facial hair against his sensitive skin. Goosebumps broke out on his arms as another kiss touched his neck. “I’m happy just holding you close like this. It’s-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Safe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to say perfect, but yes - it’s that too.” The weight of Tony’s arms against his lower back caused Peter to scoot forward a little, which then increased the heat against his front. He gasped softly, acutely aware of how his hormones were going into overdrive with the proximity of how close their bodies were to one another. “Breathe, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s whispered words brought little relief to his mind as he tried to obey the simple request. All he could feel right now was his own cock throbbing, acutely aware of how he could feel his heartbeat down there, which meant that Tony probably could too. “I’m trying.” He shivered, as Tony’s lips returned to laying kisses on his neck. “W-We should finish our game…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should.” Peter began to lift his head, but then stopped as he noticed Tony’s pulse on the side of his neck. He could see it was beating just as fast as his own. Knowing that, it gave him a little boost of confidence that he might not have gained otherwise. He brought his lips to Tony’s neck and brushed a hesitant kiss on it. The arms around his body tightened their hold, and he heard Tony moan low. “Do that again….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Never one to ignore a request from Tony Stark, Peter did as he was told and brushed another kiss against Tony’s neck but this time it wasn’t hesitant. The confidence returned, as he kissed his neck again and again, feeling the deep moan that Tony released against his own chest. He followed his way up to his chin, then his jaw, and then his lips were claimed by Tony’s. He moaned into the man’s mouth, his lips parting to feel the swell of Tony’s tongue against his own, his body growing hotter by the second as his breath was stolen from his body willingly. He’d somehow wound up with his hands grabbing onto Tony’s shirt, his fingers clutching the thin fabric like his life depended on it. Each gentle roll of Tony’s tongue in his mouth left him aching for more, his own tongue pushing back into Tony’s to taste the bitter coffee on his tongue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hadn’t realized he was scooting forward again until he felt the swell of Tony’s crotch against his own. Peter broke off the kiss with a soft whimper, as Tony’s lips descended to the side of his neck. “E-Eds….” He moaned, as he started to frot against the stiffness. He couldn’t stop - the gentle grinding felt too damn good. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It feels good, doesn’t it?” The tone of Tony’s voice made Peter moan again, the richness that was there sending signals to his brain that had his stomach rolling. “It’s okay….Keep going… Here….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two hands touched his hips, and soon Peter felt Tony guiding him on how to roll them. He moaned against his neck, torn between kissing it more and just staying still to concentrate on the heat that was beginning to flood through his body with these intimate touches. “Oh, God…” He moaned, becoming acutely aware that he was now humping Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to come?” The hands on his hips gripped tighter, Peter’s brain slowly turning to mush as he chased that high he was aching for. “Don’t stop until you do….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The heat began to build, Peter shifting his weight on Tony’s lap to find the perfect spot to really feel it. “O-Ohh….” He tossed his head back with a loud moan as he began to come inside of his boxers, vaguely aware that Tony was now kissing his neck as he continued to freefall through his ecstacy. He heard him grunt against the side of his neck, and then another rush of wet warmth began to spread over his own crotch. Peter exhaled another moan as he realized that Tony had come too, his body trembling from head to toe through the end of his pleasurable high. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter dropped his head to Tony’s shoulder, panting hard as he stopped moving his hips. “I’ve got you…” He felt the weight of Tony’s head resting on top of his own, making him feel warm and secure. He stayed still, his rapid breathing slowing down to a much more normal pace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“H-Hah, wow….” Peter didn’t know what else to say, as he looked up and looked into Tony’s eyes. The two were both smiling from ear to ear, clearly pleased by what had just happened. “That was intense.” He laughed, feeling slightly giddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait until the actual main event.” Tony winked, then brought him in for a tight embrace. “Here. Let me go get us some tissues to get ourselves cleaned up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-R-RIght.” He moved off of Tony’s lap with the little strength he still had in his body, and sat back down on his chair. The sweats were damp, and when Tony returned with the box of tissues, Peter saw him start to bend down to get on his knees. “No! What are you doing?!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to clean you up.” The smirk on his face caused Peter’s cheeks to burn, as he shook his head at the comment. “Fine, we’ll do it your way.” Tony got up off the floor and handed him the tissue. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, you know that right? Biology, all that mumbo jumbo.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Says the person who has an extremely active sex life.” Peter grabbed a few tissues, then turned his body to wipe himself off in a somewhat private manner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re so funny. Active sex life. Not even close, but thanks for that.” He turned to look at Tony, and saw his pants were pulled down, his softening cock hanging out. He almost choked on his own spit as he saw Tony’s cock for the first time, and then quickly looked the other way. “I saw that, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up.” He mumbled, the tips of his ears feeling like they were on fire. “Shit, what time is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A little after one thirty.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to go home.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could sleep here, if you wanted.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t want that.” Peter shook his head. “My nightmares are bad. I don’t want to wake up in a place I’m not familiar with. That will only make it worse.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony walked over to him, and took the used tissues from him. After he tossed them out, he pulled Peter up from the chair and pulled him into a hug. Peter rested his face against his chest, and sighed softly. “Who knows? Maybe they won’t be so bad if we’re close to one another.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said that hasn’t helped you in the past.” He had always wanted to ask Eds about that, but now that he knew who Eds really was, he knew that the person had been Pepper. He could only imagine what Pepper had had to deal with when it came to Tony’s insomnia. “What makes you think I’m going to be any different?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You get me in a way others don’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter had to agree, because he felt the same way. “I’m willing to try, as long as you won’t get upset at me if it doesn’t work. But not tonight. Tomorrow. I can say we’re going to the compound.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not a bad idea. We still could.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Peter shook his head. “Here. Safer. No one is around.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean Vision.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And the others.” Peter nodded, returning his head to Tony’s chest. “But that doesn’t mean I’m <em>sleeping</em> with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have it your way, Ben.” He smiled as he heard the teasing tone present in Tony’s voice. “I won’t make a move on you either.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure you won’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday? You’ll be my conscience. Tomorrow when Mr. Parker spends the night, I’m not to do anything to him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, boss.” Friday responded.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter laughed, and shook his head. “Are you going to take me home? Or am I going to have to use an Uber?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll take you home. Sheesh. Listen to you.” Tony’s hand touched the top of his head, and mussed up his hair, which made him smile. “You want to go now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not really, but we probably should.” Peter looked at the washing machine. “What about my suit?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can send it over to you tomorrow. Are you going to patrol tomorrow?” The two of them walked over to the elevator, Peter using a pair of slippers that were kept by the front door for guests. “What time do you need it by?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay. I can just come here tomorrow afternoon.” Peter leaned against Tony as they rode the elevator down to the garage, happy to be surrounded by him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter closed his eyes, trying not to read too much into that comment. It was a line he was very familiar with, and knew that Tony knew it too. But that couldn’t be possible, could it? These were the thoughts that were running through his head as Tony drove them back to Queens. Instead of feeling terrified like he had almost twenty-four hours ago, he felt at ease. So much so that he held Tony’s hand in a loose hold, their arms balancing on the center console. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What time should I come by?” Peter asked, as they pulled up in front of his apartment building. “Is three okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Three is perfect. Now, go get some sleep. Try to, that is.” Tony blew a kiss to him, which he blew back with a smile on his lips. “If you wake up, you know where I’ll be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do. Good night, Eds. See you tomorrow.” He opened the door and left the car. Walking around the building, he headed to the fire escape and climbed up the stairs as quietly as possible, then took the slippers off to climb the rest of the way to his bedroom window. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He opened his phone and saw he already had a message from Tony. “<em>Sweet dreams, Ben. I’m really glad you came by tonight. And I’m really looking forward to you not leaving me tomorrow night</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Me too. Good night. :)</em>” Peter put his phone on his charger, then pulled off all of his clothes except for Tony’s shirt. Laying down in bed, he brought the collar up to his nose and inhaled Tony’s scent, his cheeks becoming flushed as it lingered in his nose for a bit. Turning off his light, he rolled onto his side and fell asleep, the last thought on his mind was the smile on Tony’s face when he’d shown up at his apartment. That put a smile on his own face, as he drifted off with the hopes of not being rudely awakened by a nightmare. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In case you aren't familiar with the phrase "As you wish", I'm using it as a direct movie quote from 'The Princess Bride'. Because we all know Peter loves his pop culture. ;) You can watch the scene <a href="https://youtu.be/O6qpa-mRLnI">here</a> on YT (sorry if it's not available in your country! ;A:). Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Taking Peter home had been difficult. Tony had meant what he’d said to him; how maybe it would be different if they were to spend the night together. Maybe their subconscious would give them a break, and allow them a peaceful night of rest. When Peter had suggested it would happen tomorrow, he was thoroughly happy; he assumed Peter would want a week to sit on what they did today, but it seemed that maybe they were both anxious to see if they could get a good night’s rest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday - I don’t have anything happening in the morning, do I?” He asked, as he took his shoes off after exiting the elevator. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Negative, boss. Nothing going on tomorrow at all - day or night.” Her voice chirped throughout the penthouse. “Should I keep it that way?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, please.” Looking at the dining room table, he saw the chessboard which brought a smile to his face. Having Peter on his lap had been nice - <em>real</em> nice. And it hadn’t felt awful, doing the things he’d been known to fantasize about but unwilling to admit it to himself. Since he knew Peter so well, albeit as Ben, it had felt <em>normal</em>. Which was saying something - whether it was a good reflection on Peter, or a bad one on him, he wasn’t sure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was almost three in the morning by the time he fell onto his bed, the mattress molding to his form perfectly as he buried himself under the covers. His bed was big enough that the two of them could sleep on opposite sides from each other, but Tony was hoping that Peter would want something more. Then again, would he want to accidentally hurt Peter in his sleep because of his nightmares? He remembered the few times that had happened with Pepper, and <em>that</em> had been bad. He had no desire to revisit that part of his past with Peter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was something he was going to have to deal with later. Right now, if he wanted to be less of a zombie tomorrow with him he had to try and sleep. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself one final thought before drifting off to sleep. Of course, that thought was about the teen he would see again in under twelve hours, which had him falling asleep with a smile on his lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <em>Flying through the air, Tony could see that Peter was struggling with keeping the ship together. He knew that there was a finite amount of time that he could hold it together, and had to get there as fast as he could so that nothing worse than sore muscles would be in store for Peter. But as he got there, as well as his group of drones, they had done the unthinkable. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>He heard Peter’s screams as he and the drones put the ship back together, accidentally killing the boy in the process. “NO!” He screamed, panicking as he stared at his HUD, trying to find where Peter was, needing to know where his body was because there was no way the information that Friday was relaying to him was real. “NO!</em>!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“NO!” Tony screamed, his throat dry as he sat up in bed, clutching at his chest. This time, he wasn’t looking for the arc reactor like he did with all of his other dreams. No, this time he was clutching his chest because his heart <em>hurt</em>. Blinking, he snapped his head back and forth, trying to get his head cleared, as things slowly came back into focus around him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sun was streaming through the gap in his curtains, letting him know it was at least some time during the day - what time, he had no idea. Face beaded in sweat, he groaned as the memory of the nightmare began to slowly fade from his mind. There was a knot in his stomach now, as the nightmare had made him feel physically ill. <em>I can’t hurt him</em>. He rubbed his eyes, not at all surprised to feel his face was wet with both sweat and tears, as that nightmare had been terrifying. Watching Peter die by his own hand was not something he wanted to ever dream of again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday.” He croaked out, his throat still raw from the scream, and probably screams from before he was conscious. “What time is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A little after ten, boss.” Friday replied. “Should I get the coffee going?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please.” Feeling a little bit better as the anxiety passed, Tony picked up his phone and saw a message from Peter through their chat program. Unlocking his phone, he read it and felt mildly better as he double confirmed that it had been a dream, and Peter was still around. “<em>I did not sleep great. :-/ Got about four hours and then had an awful nightmare. Still unsure I should come today. I want to, but I’m so tired</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony began to type a response to him, feeling the knot return to his stomach. “<em>I just woke up from an awful nightmare myself. Come over today if you want. No pressure. I can pick you up too, if that will make you feel better?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Peter typing a response, which helped the knot in his stomach disappear in favor of a warmth that began to spread throughout his chest. “<em>Please? 3? 4? Now?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Now</em>.” Tony immediately responded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Shit. You called my bluff. I can’t right now. I’m at the farmer’s market with May. :( Come pick me up at 3. She knows we’re going to the compound and said it’s fine, as long as you have me home tomorrow at a reasonable time</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Tony plopped his feet down on the floor. “<em>I can do that. Have fun at the farmer’s market, Ben. I should probably go buy provisions myself. Any requests?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>No, I don’t think so. See you in a few hours, Eds</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony closed the app, and went out to the kitchen, where the smell of good coffee was permeating the air. Peter still seemed okay, which was good news for him. They should probably have a talk about things, but he didn’t want the teen to panic about it. And frankly, he didn’t want to either. This was a really fine line he was walking - sex with clothes on was one thing. But if they were to go further, then it could get complicated, and right now his life was already complicated enough as it was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My autobiography’s title will be ‘The Complicated Life of One Idiot Tony Stark’.” He spoke out loud, as he poured his coffee. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want me to note that down, boss?” Friday asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking his head, Tony returned the coffee pot back on the burner. “No, Friday. I was joking. No need to make a note of it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Understood, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was he taking advantage of Peter? He didn’t think so. They had an understanding who each other was - he was Eds, and Peter was Ben. Two people that met online, and who Tony had been foolish enough to fall for through their lengthy conversations when sleep was nonexistent in his life. And vice versa - he assumed. <em>Is Peter going to wind up hating me because I don’t know how to control myself?</em> He sipped his coffee and leaned against the counter, his eyes going over to the chessboard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe they would find a happy medium. Somehow. Although he wasn’t quite sure how. “That’s a problem for tomorrow.” He mumbled, taking another sip of coffee. “Maybe we should just get through this evening first.” Pulling up his grocery list on his tablet, he made a few adjustments and then closed it. He’d go shopping after he finished his coffee and stopped mulling over his feelings about Peter Parker. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony pulled up to Peter’s apartment at exactly three on the dot, and saw Peter was waiting outside for him. Unlocking the car, he saw Peter open the door and threw his overnight bag into the backseat before taking a seat next to him. “Hey, Eds.” Peter greeted him with a big smile on his face. “How’s it goin?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you know. Been a long morning.” Tony grinned, and waited for Peter to put his seatbelt on before pulling away from the curb. “How was the farmer’s market?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was nice. All the vendors are always so nice to May. Probably because they think they have a chance with her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t tell Happy that.” Tony laughed, as Peter groaned. “I could send him to start helping her shop on Saturdays, if you want?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. Please, no. I can only take so much of Happy.” Peter shook his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peter turn to face him. “You look semi-rested.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s all fake.” Tony pulled his sunglasses down, to show Peter the bags under his eyes that were a permanent fixture on his face. Turning his head back to the road, he reached over for Peter’s hand and was happy to feel him accept the touch with no complaints. “You got four, I got seven.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seven? Wow. I’m jealous.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckled, slowly braking for the traffic in front of them. “Don’t be. Remember, the night before I didn’t sleep. So I was going on almost forty-eight hours of no sleep with maybe a few power naps in between.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, you needed that seven hours, then.” Peter nodded his head. “What are our plans for this evening? We’re not going to the compound, right? That was a real lie?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As traffic became more dense, Tony casually pulled his hand away from Peter’s after bringing his hand up to his lips to kiss his knuckles. He placed both hands on the wheel, and gave a small shrug of his shoulders. “It can be. Or, we can travel out there if you want. Get some training done? Might help tire us out if we did that. Besides, I’ve got some ideas on how we can utilize your suit in certain scenarios, and-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds, no. I hear what you’re saying, but can we do that next weekend? I’m tired. I don’t want to make some stupid mistake that will put me on bedrest.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right.” He nodded at what Peter had said, and then made a right turn. His tower was looming closer. “Yes, let’s plan on next weekend. Tonight - we relax. Veg out. Watch a movie. Binge a television show. Finish our game of chess.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You left it out?” He heard the hopefulness in Peter’s voice, which brought a smile to his lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did.” Tony pulled into the garage of his building, and headed down to his parking spot. “We could always play online, but-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Playing the real thing is really nice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Putting the car into park, he turned to properly look at Peter. “Exactly. Now, get your stuff and let’s go upstairs. Because I’m not carrying that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t say you were!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, but I can see it in your eyes.” Tony teased, as Peter grabbed his bag and they both left the car together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The elevator ride up to his penthouse was quiet, the two of them staying a few feet apart from each other. <em>Should I take his hand? Should I kiss him hello? What does he want from me? What do I want from him?</em> His thoughts were noisy in his head, not even noticing that the elevator doors had opened and Peter was walking off by himself. Peter turned around and looked at him, waving his hand up and down, snapping Tony out of his daze. “Eds? You okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Yeah.” Tony blinked, and walked off the elevator. “I was just thinking.” He slid his shoes off, and looked at Peter. “Something to drink?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Coke? I’ll go put this in the guest bedroom?” He held up his bag. “Mind if I change?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at all. I can throw on something more comfortable too.” Both were wearing faded jeans, Peter had on one of his nerdy shirts while he had chosen to wear a vintage Elton John shirt. “Go change.” He shooed Peter away, who was laughing as he walked towards the guest bedroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony went to his bedroom and left the door slightly ajar as he grabbed a pair of black and white flannel pants from his dresser drawer. Taking his jeans off, he tossed them to the side and pulled his flannel pants on, feeling much more relaxed. To an extent. His heart was still pounding away in his chest, doing a poor job at trying to calm himself down now that Peter was with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fixing his pockets as he walked back out to the living room, he saw Peter had grabbed a can of Coke and was pouring him some coffee. “Thank you.” Tony said, as he walked over to him and took the offered mug. “Want to finish our game now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we talk about something first?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course we can.” Tony said, as his heart began to hammer in his chest. This was it. What had started the night before was going to be over before it began, which he knew he should look at as a blessing but it was damn difficult. “What do you want to talk about?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we go outside?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a nice spring day, and Tony couldn’t see any reason to say no. “Sure.” Walking over to his outdoor balcony, they went and sat down on one of the couches, taking in the Manhattan skyline around them. “Something on your mind, Ben?” He asked, turning to look at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sort of? I don’t know. I guess I’m trying not to think about it because it might be better if I don’t? But then, that’s the reason why I think we should talk about it.” Peter began to ramble, his left hand raising up to push his fingers through his hair. It was an endearing quality that Tony always found adorable whenever Peter did it; a nervous tick that he probably didn’t realize he had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching over, he put his hand on Peter’s thigh. “Take a second. You are rambling. What’s going on?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what I want to know.” Peter met his gaze, Tony’s hand holding his mug a little tighter. “What’s going on between us? I’m confused. I’m happy. I’m a whole lot of things right now, and I don’t know what I should be feeling.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sat back and took a deep breath. “This is about last night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Guess I’m future Tony now</em>. He turned his head towards Peter. “Alright, let’s talk. What’s going on between us? I thought it was pretty obvious from the way I spoke to you last night, no - this morning, that I told you I have feelings for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have feelings for Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re the same person.” Tony tried to keep his temper in check, as he recalled his own dialogue with Peter about being the same person as Eds when they had met each other for the first time. “Do I have feelings for Peter Parker? Yes. Do I have feelings for Ben? Yes. Am I leaning towards one more than the other?” He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s safer for me to say yes, but is that the truth? Still out for debate.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I’m sixteen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you’re sixteen.” He nodded his head, setting his coffee mug down on the side table next to the couch. “We’re, what? A few months out from your seventeenth birthday? And even then - it’s still complicated.” Tony stood up from the couch, and walked over to the railing, looking out at the city. “I know it’s foolish of me to entertain this idea. And stupid.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something hard touched his back, his body stiffening for a brief second before relaxing as Peter rested his head against his left shoulder blade. “I want to kiss you. I want to touch you. I want what we did last night to happen again. But I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what you’re expecting from me, Eds.” Two defined forearms wrap themselves around Tony’s waist, which had him lowering his hands to rest on top of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what I’m expecting either.” Tony answered softly, finding Peter’s hand to hold with his own. “All I know is that these last few months, I’ve felt better about myself than I have in a long time.” He slowly turned around to look at Peter, who traded his back for his sternum, keeping his head down. Touching his chin with his hand, Tony glanced down into his eyes. “If we do this - it’s not going to be easy. We’re going to have to be very, <em>very</em> careful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” The expression he saw in Peter’s eyes caused his heart to beat a little faster. “I don’t want you to think that I’m only here because of that. Because I’m not. I’m here because of a lot of reasons.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s thumb stroked Peter’s jaw with a familiar touch, even though it was the first time he’d done such a thing. “I know. The ball is, and will always be, in your court. If you want to kiss me - you have my permission. If you want to do something more than that? You have my permission.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not fair, Eds.” Peter shook his head, turning it slightly to capture Tony’s thumb with his lips. A soft kiss touched the pad, then a little flick of his tongue caused Tony’s heart to jump again in his chest. “You can do whatever you want to me too, you know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In time, I will.” Tony cupped his cheek with his hand, holding Peter’s head still to look into his eyes. “Right now, in the beginning - it’s better if I let you decide what we do. Kissing, touching, groping. <em>Sex</em>.” He whispered with a smirk on his lips, loving how he could feel Peter’s face grow warm with the blush that was now spreading over both cheeks. “You make the calls, Ben.” He brought his lips down to Peter’s, and let them ghost over his with the barest hint of kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s too much power.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know how to handle it.” Tony kept his hand on his face, his other arm slipping easily around Peter’s waist. “I believe in you.” Brushing his lips back and forth, he kept them on Peter’s lips just long enough, then moved them again. “Should we go back inside? Do you feel comfortable now, having <em>discussed</em> things with me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Please….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled away, and saw that Peter had been standing on the balls of his feet. Chuckling softly, he caressed his cheek with his thumb. “Come on. I could use some more coffee.” Tony took his hand away from his face, and headed back inside. He heard Peter’s footsteps behind him, as he continued on the path to his kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could use some more of your lips.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s what he’d been waiting to hear from him, knowing that those teasing kisses hadn’t been enough for either of them. Turning around, he saw Peter was still eight steps away from him. Eight steps were too many in his mind, as he began to make his way towards him, the two of them now closing the gap to four, then two, and then his arms were back around Peter’s body, his lips claiming his with an actual kiss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The need from the night before was still there, as if there had been any doubt there wouldn’t be. He could feel Peter’s need rolling off of him in the same way his own desire for him was palpable. Tony’s tongue casually slipped into Peter’s mouth as if it had been made specifically for him, finding the wet muscle with his own. He listened to his moans, and answered with a few of his own deep ones, his tongue stroking his with assured strokes. Walking forward, he got Peter to the dining room table and pushed him up against it, being careful to not hit their chess game. But he heard two pieces fall off the board, and knew that it was a lost cause as Peter’s arm swung wide to land on his neck, Tony soon finding himself now situated between Peter’s legs as his own hand struck the board and knocked a few more pieces over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He helped him to sit on the edge, his lips now gravitating to Peter’s neck. “Do you like when I kiss you like this?” He asked, letting his lips brush against the lower part of his neck, before bringing them back up closer to his ear. “Does it feel nice, P-Ben?” He’d almost called Peter by his actual name, but was worried that it might take away from what they were sharing at the moment, so quickly turned it to be the name he gave him.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Real nice, T-Eds….” His eyes widened, as he heard Peter make almost the same exact mistake as he had just had. <em>Did he? Or am I imagining that?</em> Peter moaned softly as Tony let his lips brush against the shell of his ear, Tony recognizing the need he heard in his voice as his head tilted to the side a little more. “Will you touch me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a question he should have been expecting, but to hear it asked so innocently made Tony’s cock twitch inside of his briefs. “Course I will.” He murmured into Peter’s ear, putting both of his hands on the teen’s hips. “Is this how you want me to touch you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not exactly…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remember, you have all the power.” Tony reminded him, as he brought his lips to caress Peter’s smooth jawline. “For now…” He whispered, smirking as he heard Peter whimper softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fingers touched his hand, Peter prying it off of his hip and then placed it exactly where he had hoped he would put it. “R-Right here…” Peter moaned, as Tony pushed the heel of his hand up against his cock. “Oh, God…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Outside?” He asked, keeping his hand pushing up against the stiff flesh, his own heart beginning to race as he wondered how Peter would answer his question. “Or do you want me to <em>touch</em> it?” Tony touched his lips to the shell of his ear. His ears began to ring as the sound of his own beating heart was causing him to become temporarily deaf, as he spoke the words he’d been itching to say since last night to Peter. “Should I put my hand on your cock?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soft moan was all he needed to hear as he slipped his hand down the front of Peter’s pants. His hand quickly found it, fingers teasing the tip with just a little brush before sliding down the length of it. He felt Peter’s arm wrap tight around his neck, not bothering him in the slightest as he made a loose fist around the very stiff flesh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“E-Eds…” Peter moaned against his neck, Tony’s palm growing warm from the heat that was coming off of the teen’s cock. “That feels….so good…”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Normally a needy person in bed, Tony found that he didn’t care that he wasn’t being given the same amount of attention that he was lavishing on Peter right now. Because he knew it was more important to make sure that Peter was absolutely comfortable right now, and wanted to make this feel good for him. He didn’t want to throw him for a loop by having him try and touch him too. There would be plenty of time to share that. Right now, he wanted to give Peter the best fucking handjob he’d ever experienced in his life. His own cock could wait its turn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rubbing the pad of his thumb against the crown, Tony wasn’t surprised when he felt the tackiness of Peter’s precum seeping from the slit. He spread it over the head, and used his other hand to pull down Peter’s pants more, exposing the teen’s cock out into the open. Glancing down, he saw how red the tip was, his cock beginning to throb more steadily against the palm of his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now we’re even.” Tony whispered, as he slid his thumb away from the tip, and pushed his hand back down to the base of his cock, watching the tip as more jizz began to leak from the center. “Remember that you saw mine first.” He dragged his lips from Peter’s ear to his lips, muting the loud moan that Peter began to emit as his hand began to really move on his cock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His tongue was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He could feel Peter’s tongue matching his stroke for stroke, the pressure building between the two of them as his hand flew up and down, fisting Peter’s cock. Their kiss broke off not because of him, but because Peter tossed his head back with a cry that sent a shiver down Tony’s spine. “I’m….I’m…..” Peter tried to speak, but failed and Tony knew why. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look at me.” He spoke, wanting to see those wild eyes as he brought the teen to an orgasm. “Look at me, look at <em>me</em>….” Tony repeated, as Peter dropped his head back down. Blown out pupils stared back at him with total lust in his eyes, Peter’s mouth saying wide open as he gasped out a moan. “Yes, P-Ben….” Again, he’d almost slipped and said Peter’s name, but then at the last second changed it in favor of keeping Peter level. He nodded his head as he felt the first few splashes of cum hit his fingers, stroking Peter through his orgasm. Tony moaned low as his own briefs began to grow painfully tight, witnessing such a thorough orgasm put him into a highly aroused state. “<em>Yes</em>….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s eyes eventually closed, and Tony was there in a split second to receive his head now resting against his shoulder. He kept his fist around his cock, waiting for it to lose more of its stiffness before pulling it away. “A-Aah…” Peter twitched a little, Tony chuckling softly as he knew how sensitive he was probably feeling. “Hah….”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You okay?” Tony asked, brushing a kiss to the top of Peter’s head as he used a few napkins to wipe his hand off. He pulled his head away, and helped Peter to lean back a little so he could look at him properly. “How do you feel?” Using a new napkin, he carefully wiped up a little of the mess that had landed on Peter’s stomach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Light-headed.” The grin on his face brought a smile to Tony’s. “That was - wow. Wow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For such a brilliant mind, you do like to revert to the simplest expressions.” He teased, as he lowered his head to leave a kiss on Peter’s lips. “But I like that about you, Ben. I like it a lot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. Because I don’t think I can remember too much right now when it comes to superfluous vocabulary.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And there he is.” Tony rubbed the tip of his nose against Peter’s, and helped get his pants back on before helping him to stand up from sitting on the edge of the table. “I promise we’ll do something like this again in a more comfortable setting.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That comment brought a loud laugh out of Peter, which in turn made Tony chuckle. “I don’t mind. Really. Anywhere is great. That was great. Wow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re going to give me a complex.” He put his arms out, and waited for Peter to sink into them, giving him a long hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me? No way. That won’t happen.” Peter’s breath against his neck sent another little shiver down Tony’s body. “W-What about you? Shit, I should have asked that before. I’m so sorry, Eds. I don’t want you to give you blue balls.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m good for now.” For once, he actually meant it. Normally he wouldn’t have said no to an even exchange, but after what they’d just done? It wasn’t necessary for him, because he felt completely satisfied in a way he wasn’t used to. “But, we ruined our game.” Tony nodded his head towards the chessboard, and saw that more pieces had been scattered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good thing we were only a couple of turns in.” Picking up a pawn, Peter set it back on the board. “Want to try again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony nodded, and headed back towards the kitchen with the wadded up napkins he’d used to clean up. “Set it up, Ben. I’m going to make some more coffee. Coke?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking over his shoulder, he met Peter’s eyes. The two shared a smile. “You got it.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>They played chess for the rest of the afternoon into the evening, their third game coming to a pause when Peter’s stomach decided it was time to announce how hungry he was. Tony had looked at him, a smirk on his lips while his own stomach was growling and doing flips at the same time. “Sorry.” He said, a little sheepishly. “I guess it’s almost my normal dinner time.” Peter sat back against his chair, and looked at his watch. “Holy cow - how is it already eight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Tony’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood up. “Or, when you’re trying to beat a really good opponent.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked up at Tony, the butterflies in his stomach flapping rapidly as he returned his smile with one of his own. “Thanks? I think? I mean, I’m no Garry Kasparov. I can hold my own, though. I used to love playing chess with my uncle. We’d go and sit in Central Park and play.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like you have a lot of fond memories of the game.” Peter watched as Tony went into the kitchen, and went to the fridge. “I used to play with friends. My old man was too busy to engage with me like that when I was your age.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” He followed him to the kitchen, and leaned up against the island. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t remember my birth parents.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t. And that’s awful.” Tony set a large lump wrapped in butcher paper. “This isn’t a competition, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wink Tony gave him made him release a nervous laugh. “Right. I wasn’t trying to one up you with that. Trust me. I just meant that I get what it feels like to not have a parent around. Or something. I honestly don’t know where I was going with that. Maybe I was trying to pull the pity card.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You weren’t. I’m teasing. You’re too easy to tease.” A knife was pointed at him. “Here. Come help me? I’m assuming you know how to cook.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. May taught me.” He went to the sink and washed his hands, then walked back over to where Tony was standing. “What are we making?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>We</em> are making nothing. I am going to cook us some steak, and you’re going to cut some potatoes that we’ll roast in the oven. Sound easy?” Tony grabbed a sharp knife and set it down on the counter with a cutting board. “Need to wash them first though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? I had <em>no</em> idea.” Peter replied, and heard Tony chuckle as he carried the potatoes over to the sink to give them a good scrub. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your sarcasm is going to be your downfall one day. Mark my words. Friday? Please note the date, and how I’ve said that Peter’s sarcasm will be what is responsible for his own demise.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter rolled his eyes, and walked back to where the cutting board was. “How come your phone hasn’t been ringing? I thought you were a pretty busy guy.” He casually asked, as he started to cut the potatoes in half, then cut those pieces in half. “Or have you been holding your calls because of me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Probably a little bit of both.” That made him feel good, knowing that Tony was making an effort to give him his full attention. “Mostly I told Friday I was on do not disturb until you were gone for the weekend. Right, Friday?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s correct, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt his cheeks heat up, nodding to himself as he cut more potatoes. “Cool. That’s nice. I’m not really very busy. Clearly. I’d be patrolling right now. I’m such a popular kid in school.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nonsense.” A hand touched his shoulder, Peter putting the knife down to look up at Tony. “Just because you’re not popular doesn’t mean anything. Trust me. All of that is bullshit in the whole scheme of things.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Eds.” Peter smiled, knowing that Tony had the best intentions behind what he was trying to say to him. And really, did he want to be out patrolling right now? Sort of? But this was a much better night, if he was being honest. “So, you want these to go in the oven?” He asked, as he pointed to the cutting board. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’ll need to go on this first.” Tony set a sheet pan down, then pointed to olive oil. “Use that liberally on them, then dust everything with some salt, pepper and paprika. You’ll find them together over there.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After getting the potatoes in the oven, Peter sat at the island and kept Tony company as he cooked their steaks. Peter couldn’t remember the last time he had steak - probably not since his last trip to the compound, as they ate pretty well there. Peter moved their in progress chess game to the opposite side of the table, and put all the silverware out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Want something to drink?” Peter asked, as he went back to the kitchen to grab himself a soda. “Bourbon? Wine?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’m good. Sticking with coffee and water. Thanks for the offer, though.” Tony brought their plates over and set them down. “If you’re feeling antsy and want to go patrol, I don’t mind. I know what it feels like when you can’t do something in your normal routine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head, as he looked at the food on the plate. “No, it’s okay. I can go patrol tomorrow. Does Happy know I’m here? Because if he doesn’t, he might complain to you that I’m not doing my “job” as the friendly neighborhood Spiderman.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, he doesn’t and if he does he’s only doing his job.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not fair.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you worried about? I know you’re here.” Tony’s hand touched his, his hand growing warm as their fingers laced together. “Please tell me you weren’t actually worried, were you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Peter ducked his head down, feeling mortified that he was trying to justify to the man he was with that he wasn’t doing something irresponsible. “That was stupid, wasn’t it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t your brightest moment.” His fingers tightened around Tony’s before their hands separated naturally. “Next you’re going to tell me you have to go because you need to talk to your online friend, who is me, by the way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laughing, he lifted his head and looked up at him. “You know, just because you said that maybe I will. After I do the dishes.” He got up, and grabbed Tony’s empty plate, then stacked his own on top of it. As he walked to the kitchen, he was stopped by a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around his waist and pulling him back to rest his against something solid and warm. “What are you doing?” He asked, his voice soft, his heart beginning to race again with Tony so close to his body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do the dishes. I have a dishwasher. You can set them in the sink, and then we can finish our chess game.” The scratch of Tony’s beard against the side of his neck caused him to hold the plates a little bit tighter. “Put the plates down, Ben…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soft kisses began to touch his neck, his resolve slipping as he dropped his head forward a little. “It’s the right thing to do. You cooked. I should do the clean up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What you should do is listen to what I’m telling you. Or, should I get my phone so I can send a text to you as Eds?” Teeth tugged on the shell of his ear, sending heat racing through his body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Closing his eyes, Peter exhaled a soft moan as more kisses touched his neck. “W-What happened to me having all the power?” It was a weak excuse, but Tony had caught him off-guard. He hadn’t been expecting anything physical with him again. Not that he was complaining. Never. No, it’s just difficult for him to accept that this is happening. <em>They</em> are a thing. Or are they? Shit. They haven’t really said one way or the other. How could he expect someone like Tony to be with someone like him? Maybe Ben, but not him. “W-Wait….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” The plates in his hands were taken away by Tony, Peter grateful for the concern he heard in his voice. “Talk to me. What’s going on? I thought you were doing okay. You’re right - you are the one with control. I shouldn’t have done that. It was too much too quick, wasn’t it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter put his hand on Tony’s chest, unknowingly in the same spot that used to house his arc reactor. “Relax, Eds.” He looked up at him, and gave him a small smile hoping to quiet whatever fear seemed to be stemming from him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I liked it. I <em>do</em> like it. I just - where do we stand with each other?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure I follow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The questioning look on Tony’s face was one that Peter wasn’t used to seeing. “I mean, I know what we did earlier was fun, and I’m sure there’s more fun to be had still. But, what am I to you? I know you said the ball was in my court, but is anyone else playing on this court? Or is it just you and me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. We didn’t really solidify <em>those</em> details.” Tony placed a hand on top of Peter’s, as it rested against his chest. “There’s no one else I’m seeing right now. No one else I want to be seeing. You’re going to have to trust me. Just like I’m going to have to trust you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do trust you. With my life. On more than one occasion.” Peter reminded him, as he moved to be closer to Tony’s body. “I’m sorry. This is just a lot to take in. I’ll get used to it soon. Maybe. I don’t know. It’s weird.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bad weird, or good weird?” Arms wrapped themselves around his body, Peter falling into Tony’s warm embrace. “Please tell me it’s a good weird.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, and nodded his head. “Yes, it’s a good weird.” Lifting up a little, he brought his lips to the corner of Tony’s mouth and pressed a kiss there, the coarse hairs of his mustache tickling his lips. “A very good weird.” He dropped back down to the ground, then looked over at the chess board. “Should we finish our match? Are you going to drink more coffee? Are you tired?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So many questions.” Tony kept his arms around him, as Peter rested his cheek against his sternum. “Yes, but we don’t have to do it right now if you don’t have the brain power it takes to beat me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I beat you twice already.” He reminded him. “We’re playing a third time because you insisted you could beat me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I <em>can</em>.” The arms around him tightened their hold, which sent a thrill through his body. “I like playing with you, Ben. So yes - we can finish up our game. More coffee - I’m thinking about it. But, there’s a reason why you’re here tonight. And it’s not because I want to kiss and touch you all night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-My control.” Not that either of those things weren’t something he didn’t want to. His body was already itching to be touched again, to be kissed again. “Right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly.” He inhaled deeply, his nostrils filling with the scent of Tony; expensive cologne that was no doubt tailored to his own unique pheromones, with the smell of soap and deodorant mixed in for a uniquely spicy scent. “And I’m always tired. I told you that before.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right.” Peter took a step back to look up at him. “Let’s finish our game, and then we can try and lay down?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds like a good idea.” Tony’s responding smile made his heart flutter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their game went on for another hour, and by the time they finished, there were only three pieces left on the board. Peter held his hand out to Tony, who had the biggest smile on his face. “Congrats.” He said, as he shook Tony’s hand. “That was a very good game.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was, wasn’t it?” His heart jumped in his chest as Tony brought his hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. “You ready to go to bed?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at all.” He admitted, feeling somewhat terrified that they were going to be going to his bedroom. “Not even a little bit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s got you nervous right now?” They both stood up from the table, stretching as they’d been sitting in the same position for the last hour. “Are you afraid you won’t be able to sleep? So what? Then we’ll come back out here and put on a movie or something.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter wasn’t sure why he was feeling an uncanny amount of nervousness right now. “We’re going to be in the same bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, that’s generally how it works when two people sleep together. <em>Sleep</em>, Ben.” The extra emphasis on sleep helped to calm his nerves down somewhat. “I don’t have any intentions on trying to seduce you tonight. Would I like to? I don’t think that needs to be answered, do you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head. “No, I don’t think you need to answer that. Because I also know the answer to that question.” He looked over at where the master bedroom was. “Guess we’ll be going in there?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could sleep in the guest bedroom, if you’re comfortable in there.” Tony took his hand, and started to walk in that direction. “You’ve slept in there before. It’s familiar territory.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. But not for you.” He shook his head, as he pulled Tony in the opposite direction. “We should sleep in your bedroom.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at all, but that’s okay.” Peter continued to pull him towards the master bedroom. “That’s what makes this exciting and scary at the same time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exciting, yes. Scary? Remains to be determined.” Tony took the lead, and pushed the door open to his master bedroom. Peter shook his head as he looked at the custom made bed, knowing for certain that it was going to be the nicest mattress he’s ever slept on. “What do you normally wear to bed?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A shirt and underwear. Sometimes no shirt.” His face grew hot as he told Tony these things. “So yes, that means I talk to you on my computer wearing hardly any clothes on.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm. That’s good to know.” Tony stood behind him, returning his arms into a similar position they’d been in when he’d tried to take the dishes to the kitchen. “Don’t be nervous right now, Ben.” The words were softly spoken into his ear. “There’s no reason to be nervous.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He exhaled a soft groan. “That’s easy for you to say, Eds.” It felt easier calling him that, although the urge to call him by his first name was becoming something that was getting hard to ignore. Would that ruin things, if he called him Tony? He’d never once called him that before, and it might be a little off putting. But Eds seemed to work, which was a relief. There was a small part of him that wanted to hear what Tony would sound like if he said his name the way he said ‘Ben’ before. His cheeks burned a little as he was about to out himself for his lack of experience. “You’ve done this thousands of times. Me? I’ve never slept with someone in their bed before.  I mean, maybe my aunt when I was like four, but not like this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Might be easier if we turn off all the lights, hmm?” Tony walked over to what Peter assumed was the side of the bed he normally slept on. Or maybe he slept in the middle and was being courteous since he was here. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask me what I sleep in.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the lights began to dim, he looked across the bed and saw there was a smirk on Tony’s lips. “You sleep nude, don’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t tonight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If his heart had been beating fast before, it was now beating at a pace that was almost what it gets to when he’s had a nightmare. Luckily, the lights had dimmed enough that there was no way that Tony could see how bad he was blushing. “T-Thanks. I think.” He took his lounge pants off, keeping his boxers on as he lifted the covers up and laid down on the bed. Even in the darkness, he could feel Tony’s presence near him, causing his heart to continue its fast-paced beating in his chest. “I don’t know why I thought this was a good idea. This is a terrible idea. I’m not going to be able to sleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because of me?” Tony’s voice rumbled near his ear, making him gasp softly. “What can I do to help you feel a bit more relaxed? Because I swear, the tension is rolling off of you in waves right now, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching under the blanket, his hand connected with something solid and somewhat hairy. <em>Leg</em>. He turned to lay on his side, and could see Tony was laying in the same position facing him. Even though it was dark, there was still a touch of light that he could see him with no problem. “I don’t know. This is the part that always freaks me out the most. Should I kiss you? Should I put my head on your shoulder? Cuddle? Touch? Too many options. Sleep? Again, not likely. But then-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben.” A finger touched his lips, making him go quiet as he listened to Tony chuckle softly. “Rambling. And I told you, you can do whatever you want. If that means all you want to do is cuddle? Great. If you don’t want to touch me? Well, I might be a tiny bit hurt but again, I will understand and will accept that you're going at your pace. This isn’t a race. It’s not like my dick is pushing up against your ass right now, begging to be let inside.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought his head to Tony’s shoulder with a groan, as he listened to him laugh more. “Why did you have to say that? You didn’t have to say that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An arm wrapped around his body, and soon he found himself pressed against Tony’s side, his thigh now resting comfortably on top of Tony’s. “You know, there’s been something I’ve been wanting to ask you now for a little while.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” Peter could feel the tips of Tony’s fingers brushing against the nape of his neck, causing his skin to dimple with goosebumps. “What do you want to ask me, Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are your nightmares about?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tensing up for a second, Peter took a deep breath and rested his forehead against Tony’s neck. Just like the night before, he could now feel his beating heart against his skin, letting him know that he wasn’t alone with having a racing heart problem. “Usually things that happen when I’m Spiderman. A recent one I had, I watched as all of my classmates fall because I couldn’t get into the Washington Monument fast enough. I was a second too late, and heard their screams.” He shivered at the memory. “Falling off your cargo plane. Being torn apart limb by limb by the ferry. You know, standard stuff.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus.” The arms around him tightened their hold, and he felt Tony’s lips touch the top of his head. “I’m so sorry.” The words were whispered, as Tony held him close.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few quiet moments, Peter pulled his head back a little. “What about you? What are your nightmares usually about?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The portal.” Peter felt his stomach drop at the mention of the portal. He remembered being terrified as he’d watched it all play out on the television. “My time in Afghanistan.” The fingers on the back of his neck stopped moving. He wondered if Tony was going to tell him anything else, and waited for him to speak again. When he did, it was barely a whisper. “The ferry.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hearing Tony admit that he’d had his own nightmares about their adventures together made the rapid beating of his heart stop completely as he repeated the words in his head. He lifted his head and felt Tony’s beard against his lips. “Tony….” He whispered, his heart aching that they both had their nightmares about the same event, which he knew was ultimately his own fault. Knowing that he’d caused Tony to have nightmares about him broke his heart, and he wanted to fix it. He brought his lips to Tony’s, and laid a soft kiss on them, as he felt himself moving on the bed to be closer to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Say it again…” Tony’s breath was hot against his own lips, as he soon found himself straddling his hips, their clothed cocks touching. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He struggled, he struggled <em>hard</em>, but he knew it felt right to say it before so he was going to say it again. “Tony….” He moaned softly, as he felt Tony’s hands land on his hips, helping him move his hips slow to grind their cocks against each other. “<em>Tony</em>….” He moaned a little louder, as he listened to Tony moan low, felt the heat of his cock pushing against his own.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Peter</em>….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two strong arms surrounded his body, and then the world tilted as he was rolled onto his back, Tony’s mouth sealed over his own as their tongues met for a carnal kiss. He wanted to weep, his eyes prickling with unshed tears all because of the way Tony had said his name. It almost sounded like a confession of sorts. It felt <em>good</em> to hear him say his real name. Peter moaned loud as he wrapped one leg around Tony’s waist, the thickness of his cock rubbing against his own making him feel like he was melting into the bed. It was enough, but it wasn’t at the same time. He wanted more, <em>needed</em> more as the lower halves of their bodies rocked together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if sensing his dilemma, he felt his boxers being pulled down, and soon felt something very hot touch his own cock. “O-Oh….” He moaned, as Tony’s cock pushed against him. He dropped his leg and quickly took off his underwear, and then removed his shirt, wanting to lay completely  bare with Tony. He saw Tony yank off his own shirt, Peter’s hands going to his chest to touch his newly exposed skin. Placing his fingers on Tony’s chest, he dragged them down using his nails to bite into his toned muscle, shivering a little as he listened to Tony’s low moans. The briefs he was wearing were gone in an instant, leaving the two of them completely naked with one another. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” The concern in Tony’s voice made him whimper softly, as he nodded his head in response. A kiss touched his lips, then he felt them return to the side of his neck, the drag of Tony’s facial hair against his sensitive skin causing him to moan. “Put your hand on me, Peter….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t have to ask where. He knew where Tony wanted him to touch. It was where he had wanted to touch earlier in the afternoon, after what they had done together. Reaching between their bodies, he found Tony’s cock with no problem, the palm of his hand connecting with the hard flesh. “Is this where you want me to touch you, Tony?” He asked, still getting a feel for how it felt to say Tony’s name. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes....” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a lot thicker than his own cock. Not that it surprised him, because he knew Tony was packing. He’d looked from time to time, only casual glances to see if he could see it. To get to actually touch it now seemed very surreal. At any moment, he would wake up from this amazing dream he was having because there was no way this could be his real life. But then, he felt Tony’s lips back on his, his own lips parting to welcome the wet thick muscle back into his mouth as he gripped his cock with a more secure touch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moan that left Tony’s mouth reverberated in his own as his hand slid up to the tip of his cock, then back down to the base. He felt Tony shift on top of him, the weight of his body not at all bothering him as he waited for Tony to find a better position. Once he did, he brought his fist back up to the tip, and used his thumb to rub against the weeping slit. “Am I doing this right?” He asked, hoping he didn’t sound as inexperienced as he felt at the moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the answering groan from Tony cleared up any doubt he had as he felt his forehead touch his own. “God, you’re doing so perfect right now....” Tony’s breath felt hot against his lips as he continued to tease the tip of his cock with the pad of his thumb. “Your hand feels so nice. Better than I thought it would.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” Peter felt his stomach roll at Tony’s comment about imagining how it felt to have his hand on his cock. “T-Touch me too?” He asked, making a tighter fist around the thickness continuing to warm the palm of his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’d be my pleasure....” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as Tony’s hand touched his own cock it became a race to see who would explode first. He could hear Tony moaning low, each time it happened made Peter feel like he was invincible. Twisting his wrist, he began to pump his hand up and down, up and down, finding the perfect rhythm for the two of them. Once it was set by him, Tony followed the pattern on his own cock, making Peter moan in tandem with him. He could hear the bed creaking as their bodies moved together, precum slipping through his fingers, helping him get a better grip on Tony’s cock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony....” He moaned his name, as he got dangerously close to the edge. “Tony, I want to come....” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt Tony begin to throb against the palm of his hand as he stroked his cock faster. “Come, Peter.....We’ll come together....” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wet heat began to spread over his fingers as he felt Tony’s cum leave his cock, his hand now moving at a frantic pace to pull him through his orgasm. His own cock began to erupt, loud moans leaving his throat as Tony’s lips touched his neck, the soft utterance of Tony whispering his name into his ear his complete undoing.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Panting softly, he felt the weight on top of him disappear, then felt something soft touch both his hand and stomach. He looked up and saw Tony looking down at him with a smile on his face, as he used the towel to take away any evidence of what they’d just done on both of their bodies. Once he was all cleaned up, Tony’s body returned to his side, and Peter immediately gravitated to his warm embrace, needing to feel his body close to his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you wake up from a nightmare, don’t be scared.” Tony’s lips touched his jawline, then touched his lips with a loving kiss. “You’re safe. You’re with me. I won’t let anything awful happen to you, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you won’t.” He buried his face against Tony’s neck, and inhaled that unique smell that belonged to him, letting it surround him. “I hope you won’t have any nightmares too. If you do, I’m here with you. Everything is good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s arms held him tight. “That’s right.” Lifting his head, he looked up at him and then closed the distance between their faces so he could have one last kiss before his eyes gave up. “I’m really happy you’re here with me, Peter....” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m happy too, Tony.” He yawned a little, then returned his head to the crook of Tony’s neck. “Still doesn’t feel really real, but that’s okay. I know I’m not dreaming, because this is too good of a dream.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get some sleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Closing his eyes, he listened to Tony’s breathing for a bit, helping to level out his own breaths. With his leg draped over Tony’s thigh, Peter drifted off to sleep in the comfort of his mentor’s arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Something warm and heavy was in Tony’s arms, which should have made him panic but for some reason it didn’t. His arms stayed where they were, holding on to the object that was pressed up against him, his brain slowly detecting that it was a body. Blinking a few times, he noticed that it was now daytime, as evidenced by the few beams of light that had slipped through his blackout curtains in his bedroom. Another phenomenon he wasn’t expecting. <em>Huh</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday?” He cleared his throat quietly, knowing that his AI could hear him perfectly at the volume he was speaking. “What time is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seven minutes past eight in the morning, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Well, what do you know</em>. He looked down at the body in his arms and saw that Peter Parker was still sleeping peacefully against him, his breath steady and calm. Tony couldn’t keep the smile off of his face, bringing his hand to the back of Peter’s head, thrilled by the results of their experiment. He could not remember the last time he’d slept through the night without waking up. He heard him mumble softly in his sleep, as his leg shifted on top of Tony’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nooo…..more sleep.” Peter rubbed his face against his neck, causing Tony to clutch him a little tighter to his body. “Mmm….is it morning….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is.” Tony watched as Peter sat up, rubbing his eyes. The sheet they’d been sleeping under fell away, revealing his very toned upper body. His eyes were drawn to the definition in Peter’s arms, admiring him with a loving glance. “I’m not sure what time we went to bed, though, so don’t get too excited.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it worked, didn’t it?” He nodded, as Peter looked down at his own body. “Oh, shit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t panic.” The tips of Peter’s ears were now a bright red, which could only mean that his face was in the same state. “I’m not ogling you right now. No, that’s a lie. I am definitely checking you out.” He let his fingers brush against the back of Peter’s arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laughing, he sat up and pulled Peter against him. He didn’t feel him struggle, but instead luxuriated in the way he leaned back into his embrace. “You’re naked, Ben.” He whispered into his ear, feeling the heat radiate off of his body in waves. “In <em>my</em> bed. I’m <em>shocked</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds, please.” Peter’s laughter made him hold him a little closer to his body. “You’re naked too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Am I?” Tony kissed the side of Peter’s face, as he heard him still laughing. “Maybe we should check to find out.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my God, no.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, have it your way, then.” He took his arms away from Peter, and then moved towards the edge of the bed. “If you catch an eyeful, it’s your own damn fault.” He knew without looking at Peter that his face was probably the same shade as a tomato as he walked across the room to go to the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, Tony exhaled a content sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After doing his business in the bathroom and washing his hands, Tony took a look at himself in the mirror. He was amazed by how the bags looked less puffy than normal thanks to the uninterrupted hours of sleep he somehow managed to achieve. Grabbing a bathrobe, he put it on, wanting to spare any embarrassment that his naked body might cause his guest. As soon as he walked out, he heard him release a disappointed sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, what gives? You went in naked, and came back out like that?” Peter was sitting up in the bed with his back against the headboard, a few curls stuck to his forehead. “I call shenanigans.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did it for you.” Tony commented, as he went to tug on the belt of the robe. The knot gave away, revealing his naked body, which he took note that Peter immediately looked away. “You are unbelievable.” He shook his head, laughing as he went back over to the bed. “You’re upset that I wasn’t naked, but as soon as I show myself, you get shy. Nice, Ben. Real nice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up.” Slipping back under the covers, Tony took off his robe and let it fall to the floor, then sat next to Peter with his back resting against the headboard. “At least I’m not hiding under the covers right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if you were, you’d be face to face with my cock, and judging how you just reacted to it that might not be healthy for either one of us.” He teased, pulling Peter to be against his side, as he reached for his hand to hold it above the covers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s head connected to his shoulder, as another groan left his mouth. “Eds, come on. You’re not being very fair right now. You’re lucky I’m not panicking.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This isn’t panicking? Well, I’ll be damned.” Tony ducked before Peter could land a playful blow on his upper arm. “What’s there to be panicky about? We didn’t have sex. Unless…..is your ass sore? Did I accidentally have sex with you while we were asleep? Now <em>that</em> would be a crime, because I would definitely want to be awake and alert for that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watched as Peter fell face forward on the bed, somehow managing to keep the blanket in such a position that only exposed his back to Tony as a frustrated groan was absorbed into the bed. “No, my ass doesn’t hurt. Why? Will it? When we, you know?” Peter’s head was turned to the side, staying in his position. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It might be sore, but with your super healing, it probably won’t be too bad.” He wasn’t going to lie to him. “But that’s something we’ll discuss another time. We’re not rushing into this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But we’re not waiting either, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Correct.” He knew Peter was referring to his birthday, which Tony knew he would never make it to. “Now, the more important question to ask right now is how are you feeling? Did you sleep okay? I’m going to guess you had no nightmares, because I know you didn’t wake me up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter stretched out further on the bed, his entire body now no longer under the covers, but planted face down on the mattress. Tony’s eyes went to his ass, again impressed by how tone his body was to the naked eye. “I haven’t slept that good in years. Which scares me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why does it scare you?” Tony moved to be in the same position as him, grunting a little as he got settled on his stomach. “How is this comfortable for you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, it just is.” He watched him shrug, then drop his head back down to the bed. “I didn’t tell you to try and sit like me. It’s not my fault your body is old.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You.” Holding his finger up, he pointed it at Peter’s face, trying to keep a straight face but the more Peter laughed, the more he couldn’t help but smile. “Fine. When you’re right, you’re right.” He rolled onto his side, propping his head on his hand with his elbow slightly bent. “Now, answer the question. Why does sleeping through the night scare you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The look in Peter’s eyes made his chest ache a tiny bit. “Because. You’re not going to be around tonight. The nightmares will come back.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe they won’t.” It was a fear he had himself, but was hopeful that this might be a turning point. “Maybe we will be able to sleep again tonight without having to worry about one of our recurring nightmares waking us up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or any new ones.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony put his hand on Peter’s lower back, and before he could say anything, Peter was in his arms, hugging him tightly. He held him close, never wanting to let go but knew that wasn’t going to be physically possible. “It’s going to be alright, Peter.” Tony spoke softly into his ear, choosing to return to his real name, hoping that it wouldn’t frighten him. He’d called him Ben earlier, slightly worried that Peter was going to wake up with regrets about what they had done the night before, but now - now it was important to him that Peter understood where he was coming from. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Peter’s voice carried that fear that Tony <em>hated</em> hearing in his voice. He’d heard it on more than one occasion, and to hear it now really hurt his heart. “Because I don’t know what I’m going to do if they keep happening. And I can’t keep sleeping over here because one, I can’t. Two, May would probably murder me, then you, then bring me back to life to murder me again. Three, it isn’t healthy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waiting a few minutes for Peter to calm down, Tony rested his head on top of Peter’s before speaking. “No one is going to murder you. I agree, it’s not healthy that we need each other to sleep. Maybe this was a one-off. It was an experiment. You’re a scientist. What do you do when you run a successful experiment?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Try and replicate it again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly.” His chin rest disappeared, as Peter pulled his head back to look up at him. “I’m not saying we’re doing it again tonight, because you’re right. You have to go home. Maybe we won’t wake up tonight. If we do? Then we know that maybe we do have an affect on each other. We can try it again next weekend.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One night isn’t enough.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t say it was going to be only one night.” He smirked, as Peter’s eyes widened. “We’ll operate under the guise that we’re doing more work at the compound. I come pick you up on Friday, and bring you back here for the weekend. We <em>sleep</em> together both Friday and Saturday. Maybe the nightmares will stick with us this time. Or, maybe they won’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter sat up, crossing his legs into a lotus position. Tony had to tilt his head back to look up at him properly. “So, what? I’m just going to be spending every weekend with you from here on out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know that’s how it generally works when you’re in a relationship with someone.” Tony kept his eyes on Peter, although he was dying to move his face to rest on his legs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Right. Sorry, my experience with relationships are limited to hand holding and making out behind the lockers. Nothing serious like spending the <em>night</em> with someone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rolling onto his back, Tony chuckled softly. “Look, you don’t have to spend the night with me. I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t say I didn’t want to.” The bed shifted as Peter flopped down next to him. “I just said that if we wind up doing this experiment again next week and it works like it did last night, then that means I’m screwed until I go to college.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about we get through next week. Baby steps, Ben.” Tony reached for Peter’s hand, and was happy to find him giving it to him. Their palms touched, fingers locking together before he set their hands down on the bed. “Let’s see what happens next weekend, and then we can figure out a solution to our problem.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t have to turn his head to know Peter was nodding in agreement. “Right. Scientific about it. Run a control, run more experiments to prove why the control was successful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, I love how smart you are.” Bringing Peter’s hand up to his face, he pressed a kiss to the back of his hand before moving to hover his head over his. He dropped his hand from Peter’s, needing it to balance on his wrist to look down at him properly. “You know that it turns me on like no one’s business how that brain of yours works.” He put his hand on Peter’s face, watching as the blush spread across his cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now you’re just making fun of me, Eds.” Peter closed his eyes, but turned his head towards Tony’s touch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lowering his head, he brushed his chin against his cheek, enjoying the soft moan that he heard Peter emit from the touch. “I am doing no such thing.” He brought his lips to his, but then Peter turned away at the last split second. “No kiss?” He tried not to be hurt by the sudden denial, but it was a little difficult. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morning breath.” The sheepish reply had Tony dropping his head down to Peter’s shoulder. “I’m <em>sorry</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head back and forth, before pressing a wet kiss to his neck which was quick to turn into a raspberry. He listened to Peter howl with laughter as he held him down with his arm, blowing more raspberries on his neck. “Fine. I see how it is. I’ll remember this, <em>Ben</em>.” He pulled away from him, and slid back off the bed. “Are you hungry?” Reaching over, he picked up his briefs off the floor and put them back on, along with his pants. “Ooof.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be mad.” Two strong arms were around his waist, Peter’s cheek now pressed against his back. “I just don’t want you to think I have bad breath. I want to kiss you, Eds. I do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony put his hands on top of Peter’s arms, and patted them gently. “I know. It’s okay. I’m not upset, or mad, or anything like that. It’s just something I haven’t had to deal with in a very long time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Morning breath?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something like that.” He turned around, and put his arms around Peter, his face feeling nice  against his bare chest. “Do you want to take a shower, while I get breakfast ready for us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you mind? I’ll just use the guest shower. I brought my stuff with me.” Peter’s chin rested against his chest, as beautiful brown eyes stared up at him. “I’ll take care of my morning breath.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d better.” Touching his cheek, Tony nodded. “Go, get ready. I’ll take one after we eat.” He lowered his head, and left a kiss on Peter’s cheek. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony pulled away and grabbed his shirt off the floor. Throwing it back on, he headed out of the master bedroom and walked to the kitchen where the glorious smell of coffee was filling the space. He heard Peter following him, and then saw him pass by on his way to the guest bedroom. As he passed by, he had been sorely tempted to smack his ass, but instead settled for a shared smile, then returned his attention to the task at hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time Peter was done with his shower, he’d made two omelets that had tomatoes, mushroom and cheese in it with a side of bacon and two pieces of toast. He poured both of them some orange juice, then poured himself more coffee. An arm touched his back, and then he felt the now familiar warmth of Peter’s face against his shoulder. “That smells amazing. Can I take the plates over to the table?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you wouldn’t mind?” He nodded, and handed them both to him. “I put tomatoes and mushrooms in our omelets.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smile that appeared on Peter’s face had his stomach rolling pleasantly. “Because that’s what I like on my pizza.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That <em>might</em> have been a factor.” Tony had once asked him, well - had asked <em>Ben</em> what his favorite toppings on pizza were, and he’d told him those two specific items. And then had been laughed at and mocked for how he liked pineapple on his pizza. “I hope you like it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait.” Peter stood up from his chair before he had a chance to sit down. “I brushed my teeth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Knowing what that meant, Tony stepped closer to him and put his hand on the nape of his neck. “I’m going to taste like coffee….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t mind. Please….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought his head down to Peter’s, and left a soft kiss on his lips, then another, and then one more for good measure. What he didn’t expect was for Peter to pull him back down, and soon was tasting toothpaste on his tongue as Peter’s tongue wormed its way into his mouth. He moaned low, putting his other arm around Peter’s waist to pull him flush against his body, his fingers gripping the still damp curls on the back of his neck as their kiss went from subtle to libidinous in the span of five, maybe ten seconds. Tony was moaning low, Peter was releasing pitched moans, and they were both struggling to hold on to each other as nothing seemed to be good enough for either of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Breaking off the kiss with a soft grunt, Tony brought his forehead down to Peter’s, panting softly. “Let’s return to this after breakfast. I don’t think you want to eat cold eggs.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-Not really, but I also like kissing you.” Peter’s lips touched his with another kiss, his lips pulling on Tony’s bottom lip playfully. “After breakfast.” Peter pulled away and went to go sit at his chair, leaving Tony leaning forward towards an empty space. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He cleared his throat, and nodded his head. “Right. Breakfast.” Turning away, he casually adjusted himself and then went and sat at his seat. “I hope you like it. If you don’t, lie to me. I’m sensitive when it comes to my cooking.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You? Sensitive?” Tony looked over at Peter and nodded his head, as he saw a smirk on his lips. “Amazing. I’m sure it’s going to be delicious. I always assumed you would dine out a lot, and not really cook for yourself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? Because I have money?” Tony picked up his coffee, and waited for Peter to reply. Since his mouth was full of food, it was a nod, which was enough of an answer for him. “I generally do go out to eat, but again - I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with you. With us. So, I figured groceries were a good distraction, and would keep us here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that mean we’re never going to go out on a real date?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” He set his mug down, and looked at Peter. “Why would you think that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, we can go out to eat together? I mean, in the future? Movies? That sort of thing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was cute and endearing how Peter wanted to do those things, and he wasn’t about to rain on his parade by telling him no. “Is that what you’d like to do? Would you like for me to dress up? Take you out to the movies? Maybe see a Broadway show?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-Maybe.” He could see the tips of Peter’s ears turning pink. “It could be fun. I know we can’t hold hands in public or anything, but it might be nice dressing up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Consider it done.” Tony reached for his phone, and began to look at the hottest Broadway shows. “When I come pick you up on Friday, we’ll come back here and get fancy. That way, your aunt doesn’t have to question why you’re wearing a suit to the compound.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The look of relief on Peter’s face told him that it was the right decision. “That’d be really awesome, Eds. You don’t have to get us tickets to a show, though. We can just go see a movie.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You do realize who I am, right?” He couldn’t help but tease Peter, who looked like he was about to pop again. “Broadway show this weekend. You can treat me to the movies the following weekend.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That made Peter’s face light up, which in turn made his own heart pound in his chest. “Deal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, stop talking and eat. The eggs are getting too cold.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So picky.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn right I am.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They finished their breakfast in relative silence, Tony having abandoned his phone in order to give his attention to Peter. But it seemed that they were both a bit on the hungrier side, as the comfortable silence was a necessity in order to eat their food. It wasn’t his best attempt at an omelet, but it hit the spot. Peter took their dishes to the sink, then brought over the coffee pot to refill his mug. He came back over with a soda, but instead of sitting down on his chair, he chose to sit down on Tony’s lap, who was more than pleased at the new seating arrangement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you mind?” Peter asked, as his arms came to rest on the top of his shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head, as he stared into his brown eyes. “Not at all. But, I was thinking about relocating to the couch. You game?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Definitely.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter slipped off his lap, the two heading to the couch with their drinks. After setting his coffee down, Tony took a seat in the corner of his couch, and prepared himself for the weight of Peter on his lap. His hands settled on Peter’s hips, as he waited for him to shift his body, moving up a little higher on his thighs. “You’re not going to be able to watch the television if you sit this way.” Tony teased, as the television turned on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m in control.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave Peter’s hips a squeeze as he nodded his head. “Yes, you are. Are you telling me you want to go back to what we were doing before we ate? Or did you have something else in mind?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure.” Tony saw Peter’s cheeks turning to a nice shade of pink. “I want to kiss you, but I also want to touch you. And I wouldn’t mind kissing your body.  But is that too much too soon? I don’t know. Probably not for you, but for me, it’s a-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lot.” He finished for him. Peter nodded, as Tony brought his hand up to his face. “Don’t let my age intimidate you. Don’t think for one second that I want to be doing something different than what we’re doing, because that’s not true. I told you that you have the control so you can go at your own pace. I’m just as happy having you sit on my lap and making out with you as I would be doing anything else.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter turned his head and kissed the center of his palm. “I know, but I also know that you have needs too. And I don’t want you to think I’m neglecting them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you will know if you are.” Tony chuckled softly, as he felt Peter’s lips tickle his palm more. “I will definitely tell you when I’m in the mood for something. But for now? I meant what I said - you call the shots. No pressure.” He stroked his cheek, and stared into his eyes. “Don’t pressure yourself either. We’re good, Ben.” Peter shook his head. “Peter.” That brought a smile to his lips, and a pleased nod. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lips touched his as Peter shifted his weight once more on his lap. “Tony….” He groaned low, thrilled that Peter was okay with calling him by that name during the daylight hours. He for sure thought that it might be only a nighttime thing - easier to say it without the presence of light, but here he was, calling him by his first name instead of his middle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me a real kiss, baby….” He murmured against Peter’s lips, his hands now clenching onto his hips with a strong grip. “Quit teasing me…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That lit the fire in Peter, as he felt his lips crush against his with a force that made their teeth grind against each other. He moaned low, dropping his jaw to welcome Peter’s wet muscle into his mouth, his hands sliding from his hips down to his ass to pull him flush against his crotch. Giving an experimental grab, he felt Peter’s moan rumble in his mouth as he did it again, wanting to see how far he could take this. With little to no complaints from him, Tony dared to put his hand down the back of Peter’s pants, and carefully slid his finger to be between his asscheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A-Ah, Tony….” Peter broke off the kiss with a pitched moan. “W-What are you doing…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you really want an answer to that question?” Tony asked, as he worked his finger down a little further. “Because if you do, I am more than willing to answer it. Or, you could let me do it, and then you can tell me if it’s good or bad. How does that sound?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-The second option, please.” Hot breath touched his neck as Peter brought his head to be against his shoulder. “Do I need to move…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re perfect.” He turned his head to leave a kiss at the corner of Peter’s lips, dragging his beard along his jawline before sitting up. “Mmm….there we go….” His finger touched soft, pliant flesh that was only puckering slightly. He heard Peter whimper, which had him moving his head to be closer to his. “I’m only going to tease you a little.” He whispered into Peter’s ear, feeling his own cock respond to the steady stream of noises he was getting Peter to make right now. “I don’t have lube out here, and I refuse to hurt you. So, just a little teasing for now….” He stroked his finger against the smooth skin, loving the sounds that Peter couldn’t stop making. “Are you uncomfortable?” Tony asked, wanting to make sure that even though the noises sounded nice, they could be something different. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded his head, as another deep moan penetrated his ear. “I-It feels really weird. But nice. Really nice. Oh, God…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony started to slide two fingers across the opening, keeping his touches light and gentle. “We can work with really nice.” His voice was thick with lust. “Go ahead and roll your hips if you want. Push against my fingers, Peter…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hhhngh…..” The moans continued, as Peter did what he suggested, his fingers staying still to let him experiment the way he wanted. “God, I’m so hot….I-Is it warm? Is it supposed to be like this?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head, as he moved his chin against the side of Peter’s neck. “Yes, baby….You’re warm because you’re aroused right now. It’s natural. It’s how you should feel.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to know what it feels like if you push it inside…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Torn between wanting to do that, and wanting to keep it safe, Tony kissed Peter’s lips with an apologetic kiss. “Soon, Peter…” He kept rubbing both fingers against that velvety soft skin. Turning his hand, he gave a little push against it, and felt the tip push inside just a little bit.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘Kay….” The word was drawn out into a moan, as Tony rubbed him a few more times, then moved his hand to be down the front of his pants. “O-Ohh…..Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s hand found its way down his own pants, Tony exhaling a low moan as he felt his lithe fingers grip onto his cock. They began to match their movements - when Tony’s hand dropped down to the base of Peter’s cock, he felt the same thing happening to his own body. Peter’s mouth touched his with needy, desperate kisses that he was only too happy to reciprocate. His hand flew up and down his cock, and as soon as he felt him beginning to throb against the palm of his hand he sealed his mouth over Peter’s and swallowed his orgasmic moans. His own moans rumbled out of his chest seconds later, as he felt Peter’s hand squeezing the life out of his cock in the most wonderful way that kept him falling over the edge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a few seconds to regain some composure, Tony carefully pulled his messy hand out of Peter’s pants. He felt Peter do the same, and was about to reach for a tissue when he saw Peter bring his hand up to his lips and began to lick it with hesitant licks. “Jesus.” Tony whispered, openly staring at the way Peter licked his own fingers, knowing that it was his cum he was tasting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Salty. A little tangy.” Peter shrugged his shoulders, then leaned back to grab the box of tissues from the coffee table. “Here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I feel like I should be doing the same.” Tony said, but it was too late as Peter was helping him wipe off his hand. “Didn’t expect you to do that, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why I did it.” The pleased smile on Peter’s face brought a smirk to his own lips. “Never tried it before. Figured, why not.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re going to kill me, you know that, right? ‘Billionaire dies due to adorable teen who keeps throwing him curve balls’.” Tony put his arms around Peter and pulled him against his body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter leaned against him, resting his head on his shoulder. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s definitely not a bad thing. At all.” He turned his head, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sat like that for a little over an hour, and then Tony got up to take his own shower. After he threw on a pair of jeans and a plain black shirt, the two of them got ready to take Peter back to his apartment. The drive there was solemn, Tony already feeling an ache he wasn’t ready to feel as they got closer to Queens. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to be mad if I come online late?” Peter asked, as Tony pulled up to his apartment. He took off his sunglasses, and turned to look at him. “You’re not going to be weird, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony shook his head. “I’m not going to be weird. I’ll be sad if we both can’t sleep again, but I know that that’s probably going to happen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t we want that to happen? To prove your hypothesis that we sleep better together?” Reaching behind, Peter grabbed his bag and put it on his lap. “Or is it just a wait and see type of game?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes and no. Yes - it might prove our experiment, but then I want you to get the rest you need.” He nodded his head. “Grab the other bag. That’s your suit. Freshly laundered. I’m assuming you’re going to go patrol tonight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded. “Yeah, that’s the plan. Thanks for the fun weekend, Eds. Guess I’ll talk to you later?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You will, Ben.” Tony gave a little wave as Peter got out of the car, and made his way into his apartment building. He sat in his car for a few minutes, hating that he felt like a lovesick teenager, missing the best part of his day already. Putting his sunglasses back on, he put his car into drive and took off. He hoped that tonight they would both get the rest that they deserved, but knew that Peter was right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Regardless of what might or might not happen, it was going to be a long week for him. That much Tony knew to be true. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>“How was the compound?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shifted the two bags in his hand, as he heard May greet him after walking into the apartment. “Great! Real great!” He commented, hoping that his face didn’t look as red as it felt at the moment. “Mr. Stark is really impressed with the suit, and what I’ve been doing. He wants me to go back out next weekend. It would be Friday and Saturday, though. Is that okay?” Figuring it might be better to just get the ball rolling now, he proceeded to tell her the lie that they had already agreed upon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know. I know it would probably be beneficial for you to learn that sort of training from the professionals.” May was in the kitchen making dinner for them. “And I know I’d feel better knowing that you’re getting that kind of training, but two weeks in a row?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It might be more.” Peter felt his stomach roll, hoping he wasn’t being presumptuous right now. With the way things had gone last night, he was hoping to spend every weekend with Tony. If that was even going to be possible. But again, it’s better to prepare May for that outcome than spring it on her at the last minute. “It helps me out a lot. And I’ll be sure if I have any homework to do it before heading over there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>May nodded her head, then glanced over at his bedroom. “Go put your things down. Dinner will be ready in about twenty. I’m glad you’re excited about this internship stuff. It makes me happy to see you so happy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Aunt May.” He went over to her and pecked a kiss on her cheek. “Yeah, let me go set my things down and I’ll be right out.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He went to his bedroom and dropped his bags down, closing the door with his foot. He took his suit out, and brought it up to his chest, inhaling the laundry detergent that clung to the suit. It reminded him of Tony, which got his heart beating a little quicker. <em>Tony</em>. From Friday to now, it still felt like a dream. And the added bonus of being able to sleep last night for the entire night - something he hasn’t done in <em>years</em> - that was really nice. But it made him dread tonight, and the lingering fear that he might not get as much sleep as he needed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts. “Dinner’s ready, sweetie.” May’s voice carried through the door. “You want some water to drink?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, please!” He got the rest of things unpacked, and then opened the door. “It smells amazing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you think so!” May pointed to the chair, which he took without another comment. “Dig in, before it gets cold.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they ate, May asked him about his weekend, and what they did out at the compound. The white lies were easy to tell, as he’d gotten used to having to tell them when he first started going out as Spiderman. But now that she knew about his choices, he wasn’t lying to her nearly as much as he used to. <em>I guess that’s changing again</em>. Not that he was bothered by it - he was a little, but the end justified the means in his opinion. Especially if it meant being able to stay with Tony for a little while longer than normal. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to go out tonight? Don’t forget, it’s a school night.” May asked, as he washed the dishes. “I don’t want you out too late.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. I’ll be good. Yeah, I was thinking of heading out around seven, so I could be done around ten. That’s not too late, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. Just make sure when you come home, if you need to shower do it quick so you can go to bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Aunt May.” He put the last dish in the dishrack to dry, then went back to his room. He closed the door, and went to grab his phone. He saw a message waiting for him on the app he used to talk to Eds, and was quick to read it. “<em>Couldn’t decide if I should send you a msg here or through text. Might as well keep this as our chat preference. How’re you holding up?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He unlocked his phone and began to type, now laying on his bottom bunk with his phone held up above his head. “<em>Sorry for the late reply, Eds. Was eating dinner. I’m doing okay. Gonna head out and patrol soon. My plan is to be home by ten, and in bed by eleven. Will I sleep? That’s the question of the hour</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I hope you will. I’ll probably still be up then, since I normally don’t go to bed until after midnight anyway. We’ll chat when you get home?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter smiled, and typed his answer. “<em>Of course, Eds. :) You know my favorite part of the night is getting to talk to you</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>My new favorite thing to do is have you sleeping in my arms, and waking up with you next to me</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Closing his eyes, Peter released a soft moan. “<em>Trust me - I would have to agree that that is a very good way to fall asleep and wake up. I had a lot of fun with you this weekend. I’m looking forward to our experiment on Friday. Which I got the all clear for, so we’re good.</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>That’s what I like to hear. Go and save some people tonight, Ben. I’ll talk with you later</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Sounds good, Eds. Have a good night</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>As you wish.</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There it was again. That was the second time Tony had said it to him. His fingers itched to type the question if he knew what he meant by saying that phrase to him, but then it might also come off as a quote that was in a similar vein from the same movie. <em>There’s no way he means it the way I think he means it. That’s impossible</em>. Dropping his phone to the bed, he rubbed his hands over his face and groaned. More mental flips thanks to one Tony Stark. Not that these mental flips were any different from the others he was used to having thanks to this man. This man whose hands he could still feel on his body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>God</em>. That had been something else this afternoon. Sitting on his lap, the way his fingers had played with his ass. It had felt so <em>good</em> that Peter had almost begged him to just stick it in. But no, there was plenty of time for them to do that sort of thing later. He looked down at the tent he was now sporting and groaned. If he was going to get any patrolling done, he needed to get ready soon. It took a few minutes, but he willed it away, and once he was back to a less aroused state, he sat up and stretched. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was time to go do some hero work. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Crawling into his room, Peter groaned as he clutched at his side. He’d taken a pretty bad fall against the ledge of a building trying to stop a thief. He’d gotten the thief, but had also gotten a pretty bad bruise at the same time. He quietly landed on the ground and pulled his mask off, wincing a little as he sat down at his desk. At least he hadn’t fallen into the sewer this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was after midnight, much later than he wanted to be back. But when the city that never sleeps is full of crime, he had to do his due diligence to help lessen it be a thing. He quietly walked to the bathroom and took a quick shower, hoping that May was dead asleep like she normally was. She didn’t need to know that he was out later than he said he would be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once he was finished, he went back to his bedroom and took a seat on his bed, wearing a shirt and boxers to bed. Picking up his laptop, he launched the application he used to talk to Tony with, and saw that ‘As you wish’ still sitting in the chat box, almost as if it were mocking him. Putting his fingers on the keyboard, he began to type. “<em>You awake?</em>” Almost immediately he saw Tony typing a reply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Yes. Because someone said they would be done around ten, but then ten rolled around and they weren’t here. Did I panic? Maybe. Difficult to say, as I was also dealing with a call in Japan at the time</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Don’t be upset with me. :( I didn’t want to get back this late. I guess I shouldn’t tell you that I also hit a ledge pretty hard. Karen says I’m fine. Just bruising</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His phone lit up with a telephone call from ‘IMTS’. Sighing, he picked it up and brought it to his ear. “I’m not supposed to talk on the phone past my bedtime.” It was such a lame excuse, but if May caught him on the phone he would be a dead man. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re kidding, right? Because you just got home.” Hearing Tony’s voice brought a smile to his face, but then it disappeared as he winced and exhaled a groan. “What happened?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you, I hit a ledge. I was chasing someone, and then wasn’t looking where I was going. And yes, before you ask I caught them. I’ll be fine in the morning.” Peter rolled over onto his side, and exhaled a long breath. “Does that mean you were waiting up for me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony grunt. “I told you, I was on a call with Japan. I was working.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a terrible liar, Eds.” He smiled, feeling a lot more relaxed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So sue me. I worry when you go out there and patrol sometimes. But you’re fine.” The comment made his heart beat fast in his chest. “You should be going to sleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to chat with you for a bit and then sleep. But then <em>someone</em> had to call me.” Peter was quick to remind him, as he rolled over onto his back. “It usually takes me an hour to calm down after returning from patrol.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I get that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feel up for a game of chess?” He looked at his laptop, and saw that their chat was still on his screen. “One game, then I’ll go to bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even if I win?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laughing softly, Peter nodded his head. “Yes, even if you win.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal. But let’s stay on the phone. Or, is your Aunt going to come in and take away your cell phone from you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She might.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Worth the risk.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Definitely.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony sent him the link to a new chess game, and they began to play. He listened to Tony talk about his evening dealing with an acquisition in Japan, and then Peter talked to him about his patrol, although Tony said he would still have to talk to Happy about it and he would play ignorant. By the end of their game, it was close to one thirty in the morning. He yawned softly during a quiet break in their conversation, unable to stop himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go to bed.” Tony’s voice was firm. “No excuses.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if I have a nightmare?” Peter asked, as he closed his laptop and set it on the floor. He yawned again, struggling to keep his eyes open as he sank down on the bed. Due to his lack of alertness, he began to ramble. “I don’t want to dream about you being disappointed in me. Those are always the worst ones.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know what you mean.” Silence appeared out of nowhere, as Peter began to breathe a little slower. “You won’t have a nightmare. And if you do? You know where to find me. Get some sleep, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You too, Eds. Meet me in dreamland? Not nightmareland, please. Only good dreams. Everything is good.” He yawned, and rolled onto his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is good. Sweet dreams, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t hear the last comment from Tony as he was already passed out, snoring softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Peter was running through the school halls. He had to get out of here - there was somewhere else he had to be right now. There was nothing here for him - no one could understand who he was, what he was capable of doing. Grabbing his outfit from his locker, he raced outside and came face to face with an Iron Man drone. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where do you think you’re going?” The voice of Tony Stark came out of it, Peter glaring at it as he put his mask on. “Get back inside. Let the adults take care of this. You have no hand in this fight.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I do!” Peter pointed at the gymnasium. “They need to be protected! I’m the one to do it! Why can’t you understand that?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No one can be protected by you because you’re too busy trying to do things that aren’t possible.” Tony’s words cut him like a knife. “You will never be a superhero if you keep acting like this.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I am one!” He shook his head, then began to walk off. “You can’t tell me any different!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fine. If that’s the way you want it, then don’t expect any help from me. You’re going to fail, Mr. Parker.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>He stood in the parking lot, and watched as the drone flew away, his eyes flooding with tears. “I won’t fail. You have no idea what I’m capable of, Mr. Stark</em>.<em>”</em></span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter woke up with a sob, the tears still falling from his face as he sat up in bed. Shaking his head back and forth, he clutched at his chest, feeling completely hollow after that awful nightmare. It took a few minutes for him to calm down, his eyes refusing to stop the tears from falling down on his cheeks as Tony’s words continued to ring in his ears. It had been a long time since he’d had this particular nightmare - even though it had never happened, it was always a thought that lingered in the back of his mind. He never wanted to be a failure to the person who he most respected in his life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking over at his clock, he saw that it was fifteen after five. His alarm was set to go off in fifteen minutes. Reaching over, he turned it off and then picked up his laptop. He saw his phone was on the bed next to his pillow. Picking it up, he put it on its charger, hoping that it would have enough juice to get him through the day. He might be able to charge it during biology, but that wasn’t always a guarantee. <em>I’ll worry about it later</em>. Opening his laptop, he saw that his chat with Tony was still open from the night before, and saw a new message there that came in about forty-five minutes ago. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I got three hours of sleep, and then was rudely woken up by another nightmare. I stand by what I said earlier, and how I wish you were with me right now. Hope you are sleeping better than I am</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I also had a nightmare. I’ve had this one before, and like in the past, I woke up crying. My eyes feel really puffy right now</em>.” Peter stopped for a second, then resumed his typing. “<em>I hope you went back to sleep</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes went to the bottom of the screen and saw Tony was typing a reply, a smile beginning to replace the grimace that had been there since he’d woken up. “<em>Nope. Drinking coffee. At least I was working last night, so I have an excuse if I go into the office late. At least you are awake now, so I can stop working for a bit. I’m sorry you woke up from a recurring nightmare, though. Those are really the worst</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>They are. And I’m sorry you only got a few hours of sleep. Guess this week is going to prove to us how really shitty our sleeping habits are, huh? Maybe we shouldn’t go out on Friday night on a date. Maybe we should lock ourselves in your bedroom and just sleep.</em>” He heard the shower start, letting him know that May was awake. “<em>No, never mind. I want to go out on Friday night</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Good, because I already got us tickets to see a show. We’ll sleep afterwards</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked down at his hands, then looked at the screen. “<em>I won’t see you until Friday, right? You’re going to be busy with work and stuff?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Unfortunately, yes. Let’s plan on me picking you up from school again on Friday. Same place I picked you up from last time. You have to go get ready soon, don’t you? It’s almost six</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It made him happy that Tony knew when he had to leave. “<em>Yeah. And okay, that sounds good. Guess we’ll talk late tonight/tomorrow? When we both can’t sleep again? :-/</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You know it. Have a good day at school, Ben</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Have a good day at work, Eds. :)</em>” He closed their conversation, then shut down his laptop. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He got up from the lower bunk and grabbed a pair of jeans and a button up shirt and sweater to wear to school. Getting his things together, he went out to the kitchen and saw May was pouring herself some coffee into her tumbler. “Do you have time for breakfast?” He asked, as he grabbed the bread off the counter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, but I’m okay, sweetie.” May walked over to him, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Have a good day at school. I’m working late tonight, so you’re on your own for dinner.” She ruffled his hair, then grabbed her purse by the couch. “You’d better be in bed when I get home.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Aunt May.” He waved at her, and then put his bread into the toaster for a quick breakfast. He finished up, then grabbed his backpack and made his way to his train, figuring he’d head to school a little early. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ned was waiting for him outside, his train delayed by twenty minutes thanks to a stalled car at the station. “Hey!” Ned waved at him as he approached, the two exchanging their special handshake. “Whoa - you look better than you have in weeks!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I?” Peter hadn’t really noticed any difference, so hearing it from Ned made him wonder if it was true. “Why do you say that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The bags under your eyes aren’t as bad as they normally are. Did you sleep last night?” They walked into Midtown High. “Because it looks like you did.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, not really. I mean, I got like four hours? So I guess that might be a lot.” Stopping at his locker, Peter put a few of his books away, then grabbed the ones he needed for his morning block. “I slept a lot on Saturday, though. So maybe that’s why? I don’t know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, whatever you did, you should keep doing it. Maybe the girls will finally notice you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I doubt that.” Peter laughed nervously, shaking his head. “No, no one is going to notice me.” They walked into their first class together, and went to their desks. “What about you? How was your weekend?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was good. I got a new Lego set that we’ll have to build together. Maybe I can come over tomorrow after school?” Ned asked, as Peter pulled his notebook out of his backpack and set it on the desk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded, and found his favorite pencil in his bag. “Yeah, that would be cool. What set did you get this time?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Millenium Falcon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s nice?” MJ gave them both a look as she took her seat near them. “Please let me you’re not talking about your weekend conquests? Oh, wait. It’s you two.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though he knew MJ was joking, Peter could feel his cheeks heat up as he remembered what he spent this past weekend doing with Tony. “We’re talking about Legos. You know, dumb nerd things.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I like Legos. Okay, no I don’t.” She shook her head, then promptly went back to ignoring the two of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked at Ned. “Yeah, bring it by tomorrow. I’ve got the internship in the afternoon, but I’ll be free in the evening.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cool, man.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cool.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the end of the day, he checked his phone and saw that he had a text from Eds on their chat program. “<em>Hope your school day went well, and you weren’t too exhausted. If you’re tired, don’t go out tonight. The city will be fine without you</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You know you could have sent that to our other text message. ;)</em>” Peter walked out of the school, keeping his head up as he walked, rather than text and walk at the same time. He’d learned his lesson when doing that while web swinging. Never again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His phone vibrated with an incoming call from ‘IMTS’. “H-Hello?” He answered, knowing that if he didn’t he might have hell to pay. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s easier to call than type. You’re not busy, are you?” Tony’s voice instantly made his mood change. “If you’re busy, I can call you back later.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! I’m not!” He tried not to shout, but his voice invariably rose a few pitches. “W-What’s up? Why are you calling me? Because of what I said? I didn’t mean anything bad by that, Eds.” He figured it was safer to call him that, than refer to him as ‘Mr. Stark’ in case anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony chuckle. “I called because I didn’t want to type. You’re right - I should have sent that message to our normal chat. Ben doesn’t need to know that Eds isn’t who he thinks he is.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, now you’re just being mean.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Tony’s laughter in his ear made him smile. “No, I get what you meant by your comment, though. I’ll try and leave business to our normal chat. How was your day? You heading home now? School’s done, right? You’re not skipping out on class to speak with me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Class is done, yeah.” Peter headed to his train, keeping the phone pressed to his ear. “I’m going out tonight. I’ll be fine. How’re you? Did you nap this morning?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me? Sleep? It’s like you don’t even know who I am, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How much coffee have you had?” He laughed, shaking his head. “Listen, I have to go. I’m heading underground. I’ll talk to you in the early morning hours. Have a good rest of your day, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not enough. Yes, you will. And same to you, Ben. Bye.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After Tony hung up, he put his phone into his pocket and then felt his phone vibrate. He checked their message through the board and saw that the comment had been deleted and replaced with “<em>Hope your school day went well, and you weren’t too exhausted. Looking forward to talking to you later tonight. ♥</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter stared at the heart, trying not to read too much into it. But after the whole ‘As you wish’, and now this? How could he ignore it? With a little pep in his step, he hopped onto the train and went to a less crowded area to stand for his commute back home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Panic flooded Peter’s system as he woke up with a start. Gasping, he reached blindly for his water bottle, needing to feel the plastic against his hand, helping to ground him in this reality. It took a few seconds for his brain to register that he was no longer dreaming, his chest rising and falling fast as he gasped for breath. He quickly took the top off the water bottle and began to gulp water, wiping his mouth off with a trembling hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes could see perfectly in the dark, the red LED lights of his alarm clock letting him know it was a little after two in the morning. Too early to get up. Putting the top back on his water bottle, he flopped back down onto his pillow and sighed. At least the dream that had woken him up hadn’t been as awful as the night before. Tears were not running down his face, which he considered a win. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking up at the ceiling, he decided it would be stupid to wait and picked up his laptop to send a message to Tony. Pulling up their chat, he started to type. “<em>Had another nightmare. Getting real old. :-/ I know I should go back to sleep, but wanted to see if you were having the same trouble as me</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I was thinking about sending you a message, and boom. Here you are</em>.” Tony typed back, bringing a comforting feeling to his chest. “<em>I too was rudely woken up by a nightmare about twenty minutes ago. I might stay awake, though, as I fell asleep a little after nine</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s eyebrow rose up. “<em>Nine? Wow. So early!</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I think I was anticipating my subconscious to fuck with me. Feel like winding down a little with a game of chess?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>That sounds perfect, Eds</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They played for an hour, then Peter began to feel a little tired. “<em>I think I’m going to try and sleep again. I can try and get another two hours of sleep. God, I hate this insomnia</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Try and sleep. Want me to call you?</em>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a very tempting offer. “<em>I can’t really talk. I’d have to whisper, and that might be annoying</em>.” His phone began to vibrate on his desk. Reaching for it, he picked it up and brought it to his ear. “You didn’t give me a chance to finish.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t need to. I was going to call you, regardless if you said yes or not.” Tony’s voice brought a rush of heat racing through his body. “You sound adorable trying to whisper like that. You must have been a hoot at slumber parties if that’s your whispering voice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, then rolled over to cover the sound with his pillow. “Stop, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, I’ll stop. But only if you tell me one thing about you that I, or Eds, don’t know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can play a really shitty cover of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ on the kazoo.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s loud laughter made him roll over, holding his phone away from his ear to mute his own happy scream into the fabric. With his enhanced hearing, he could hear Tony was still laughing by the time he brought the phone back to his ear. “That is something I both want to hear, and hope I never have to hear. You are too much, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about you? Tell me something I don’t know about you.” Peter stayed laying on his side, looking at the wall as he waited for Tony to answer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure this is going to be the longest week of my life because I can’t have you in my presence until Friday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His cheeks burned as blood rushed to them fast. “That’s not really a secret.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right. I’m not playing fair. But really? A kazoo? Come on, Ben. You’ve got to give me something else to work with here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I used to sleep with an Iron Man night light until I was twelve years old.” The heat on his cheeks remained as he admitted that to him. “Obviously I got over my fear of the dark.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony sigh softly. “There’s nothing wrong with being scared of the dark. I sometimes think I should have a nightlight on in here, but with Friday a voice command away, I don’t really think about it too much.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How bad do your nightmares get, Eds?” He asked, speaking quietly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Real bad, Ben. I’ll spare you the details, because they aren’t pretty.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mine aren’t either. Especially when they involve you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both grew quiet, but it wasn’t really an awkward silence. More of a necessary one, which Peter was okay with. “Insomnia protects us from our inner demons, but also tortures us with them.” Tony broke the silence with a soft sigh. “Everything is good, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is good, Tony.” He whispered, feeling his eyes beginning to water as he heard the weariness in his mentor’s voice. “Try and get some more sleep. For me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish.” Tony’s whispered reply sent his heart into overdrive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter closed his eyes and held the phone tight. “You know every time you say that, it makes me happy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then it’s working, because that’s what I was going for.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me one thing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you wish to know?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His heart began to beat so loud that he couldn’t hear anything except his own heartbeat in his ears. Swallowing, he decided to just ask. “Are you saying it because you’re using the quote? Or are you just saying it just because?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think, Ben?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking. I have hope, but I don’t want that hope to be crushed.” He whispered, feeling his chest growing tighter as he waited for a reply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s soft laughter made the tension in his chest loosen up a little. “If I said to you that you killed my father, prepare to die - would that help you understand why I’m saying what I’m saying to you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Peter wanted to scream into the pillow again, as he confirmed what he’d been hoping was true was correct. “Now go and try and sleep again, Eds.” He whispered, preparing himself for Tony’s goodbye. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish, Ben. Good night.” Their call disconnected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words rang in his ear. He set his phone back on its charger, and flipped over to scream into his pillow. <em>Tony Stark loves me</em>. With that thought running through his head, he eventually fell back asleep with a large smile on his lips. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <span>It had been a long week. A very long, very <em>exhausting</em> week. Tony’s fingers tapped an unsteady beat on his steering wheel, parked on the west side of Midtown, waiting for the kids to start streaming out of the school, signaling the end to their week. He had a feeling the person he was waiting for was in the same state of mind - how it seemed that time was beginning to drag at an unruly slow pace the closer it got to the time where he would be seeing Peter again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire week he’d slept like shit. Not that that was any surprise, because it wasn’t. He’d gone to bed at reasonable times each night, but then wound up waking up at a quarter to two every single night, no matter what he did. Sometimes Peter was online already, but most times he had to wait for him to wake up too. Which, as much as he hated it, he was also glad whenever his icon showed him online. Maybe his body was still on California time, and wasn’t letting him transition to his home timezone, but then he should have been staying up later if that were the case. Whatever it was, his insomnia was back and in full swing, and the dreams were the same as they always were. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If it wasn’t the portal, it was a dream about Peter. Those were happening more frequently than they had over the last year, as if his subconscious was purposefully attacking him because of his feelings for his protege. They always seemed to avoid telling each other what their nightmares were about when they began to chat online, and even now Tony wouldn’t tell him. He wondered if Peter was having the same issue - if he was having more nightmares about him, rather than the Vulture, or if they were just the run of the mill nightmares. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony’s heart stopped when he heard the sound of someone tapping on the glass, his fingers curling tight around the steering wheel. He looked to his right and saw Peter standing at the door, waving with a bright smile on his face. Exhaling a long sigh, he unlocked the car and watched as he got in. “Hey, Eds! Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you saw me, but then when I tried the door and it wasn’t unlocked, I realized that maybe you hadn’t seen me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did not.” Tony reached over, and gave Peter’s hand a long squeeze. “It’s good to see you.” He returned his smile, happy to finally have Peter back in his presence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really good to see you too.” Peter held onto his hand, the two sharing a smile. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Guess you’re tired, huh?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What gave it away?” He pulled his hand away and returned it to the steering wheel, then turned on the car. “Although, before you ask, yes I went back to sleep after you left to get ready for school. Did the nap last long? Not really, but I did get another hour of sleep.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s better than no hours.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An excellent point.” Tony pulled out of his parking spot, then began to head towards Peter’s apartment. “All you have to do is run upstairs and get your things, right? Do you want me to come up with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw Peter shake his head. “I don’t know if May is going to be there or not. I mean, I <em>guess</em> you could come up and talk to her? Maybe it’ll smooth things over. I <em>might</em> have mentioned that going to the compound might turn into a weekly deal. I mean, every weekend. Not every week. You know what I mean.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Smart thinking.” Impressed by Peter’s forwardness, he nodded his head. “Okay, then I’ll park and if she’s home, I’ll explain why it needs to be a weekly thing for a little bit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“<em>If</em> she asks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. <em>If</em>.” Tony nodded, and smiled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a spot two cars down from where Peter’s apartment building was, Tony pulling into it with skilled ease. “Please tell me your elevator isn’t still busted.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not.” Peter grabbed his backpack off the floor, and got out of the car. “I might take the stairs, though. It’s good exercise for me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to use the elevator.” Tony walked with him up the stairs into the building, and then went to the elevator while he saw Peter start taking the stairs. “I’ll meet you up there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good, Mr. Stark!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a subtle shift, and one that he appreciated. Back to their ‘normal’ friendship to the outside world. The elevator opened, and he stepped inside, hitting the button for the seventh floor. When it dinged its arrival to the seventh floor, he stepped out and saw Peter was waiting for him with a cheeky grin on his face. “Impressive, Mr. Parker.” He teased, as the two of them walked together to his front door. “Didn’t break a sweat, did you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!” Peter put the key into the front door, and gave it a twist. Pushing the door open, Tony waited for Peter to enter first. “Hey, Aunt May! You here? I’m here with Mr. Stark!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, sweetie! And hello, Mr. Stark.” May Parker was standing in the living room with a pair of reading glasses on. “Thanks for picking up Peter from school today.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s my pleasure.” Tony said, as he walked in and gave Peter’s aunt a proper greeting. “You’re looking lovely today.” He turned on the charm, hoping that it would help ease whatever worry she might have about her nephew being in his care for the weekend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, but that’s not necessary. I already told him he could go.” May looked over at the kitchen. “Coffee? Or are you two heading out?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just here to grab my things!” Peter left them, and went towards his bedroom. “I’ll be right out, Mr. Stark!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take your time.” He looked at May, and smiled. “So, he told you that this might become a weekly excursion?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He did. And I’m not thrilled with it, but I understand that if it helps keep him safe, then what right do I have to say no to that?” May sat back down on the couch, and Tony followed her lead. “He’s a bright kid, and I know he’s got some issues right now. Has he told you about them?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony knew that this was a fine line. It could mean any number of things, and he didn’t want to divulge something accidentally to his aunt if he could avoid it. “If you’re talking about the bags under his eyes, yes I am aware that he’s been having some trouble with sleeping. But he knows to not go out if he’s exhausted.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Thank you. That makes me feel a little better.” She picked up a glass of water, and took a sip. “If this will help that, then I am definitely all for that. He’s too young to be having these sorts of issues.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree.” That was something he didn’t need to lie about. “We’re going to make sure he’s safe and taken care of.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you will. Because if you don’t, then I don’t care who you are - he won’t be doing the internship any longer.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter walked back out at that same moment. “Aunt May! You can’t say that!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” Tony held his hand out to her, happy when she took it. “You have my word that nothing will happen to your nephew. I’ll have him back on Sunday evening.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Mr. Stark.” She shook his hand, then looked back at Peter. “You have everything?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do.” Peter nodded. “If anything comes up, I’ll have my phone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, sweetie.” May got up and hugged him, while Tony stood up and waited by the door. “Have a good time this weekend.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We will!” Peter opened the front door, and Tony took the garment bag from him, as well as the overnight bag. “I can carry that.” Tony shook his head as he walked towards the elevator. The door shut behind them. “Let me carry <em>something</em>, Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator doors opened, and they both stepped in together. Tony gave him the overnight bag. “There. You can carry that.” He smiled, stepping a little closer to him. “I think your Aunt will be fine if you spend the weekends with me from now on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded his head. “Really.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good news.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator opened on the first floor, the two of them leaving together. “We’re going back to your place to change, right?” Tony nodded, as they walked to his car. “Are you going to tell me what show we’re seeing tonight?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.” Tony unlocked the doors, and hung the garment bag up behind him, then got into the driver’s seat. “Buckle in. Because I’m going to drive fast.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why??” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I want to hug you and kiss you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-Oh, okay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Putting his sunglasses on, he looked over at Peter and smiled, then reached for his hand to give it a good squeeze before putting both hands on the wheel. He’d been serious about driving fast - but he did it safely and within reason while they were stuck in the city. It didn’t take too long to get back to Manhattan, and the tower. He parked in his spot, and then went to his private elevator with Peter. As soon as the doors closed, he dropped the garment bag on the floor and turned towards Peter, who was instantly in his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held him close, exhaling a deep breath as he kept Peter in his arms. “It’s so good to do this again.” He whispered into his ear, the arms wrapped around his neck holding him a little tighter. “I’ve missed you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve missed you too, Tony.” The use of his real name had him holding Peter extra close. “I’m really happy to be here with you right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too, Peter.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator opened on his penthouse, Tony picking up both bags as they left the lift together. He toed off his shoes, then handed Peter both items. “Go and take a shower. Get dressed, and meet me out here in an hour.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” He started to head towards the master bedroom when he heard Peter call out to him. “Eds?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Ben?” Tony turned around and saw Peter walking towards him. A hand touched his shirt, and then was pulling him down, which brought a smirk to his lips. Peter kept his hand where it was at, and then brushed his lips against Tony’s with a teasing kiss. He answered it with a slow, sensual kiss, pushing his tongue into Peter’s mouth with a soft groan. Peter moaned softly, as Tony’s arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him flush against his body as they continued to kiss one another with a simmering passion that he knew would boil soon. Pulling back, now it was Tony’s turn to brush his lips against Peter’s. “Go get ready, sweetheart.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As you wish.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled at that comment, as he knew Peter was saying it to him first before he could have the chance to say it. He’d been saying it to him all week, too afraid to say the other three words that he knew were slowly coming to fruition in his own chest for Peter. It was safer to say it this way without seeming like a complete and total asshole. But, to be fair, he’s known Peter for well over a year now; it’s only recently that these feelings for him have been developing. Soon, though. Soon, he would confess it to him properly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter walked towards the guest bedroom, allowing him to head to his master bedroom alone. He had the perfect outfit picked out for the evening - he had debated on wearing a tux, but knew that Peter wouldn’t have one and it wasn’t fair to do that to him. Taking a shower, he made sure to trim up his beard, as well as took care of some manscaping - just in case they went a little further tonight. <em>Always be prepared</em>. It was a good motto to live by. He chose to wear a pair of dark grey with white pinstripe slacks, a black button up shirt with a dark grey tie tied around his neck. To complete his Broadway bound outfit, he threw on a light grey cashmere sweater. Checking himself out in the mirror, he was pleased by his appearance and hoped that Peter would be too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Friday. What time is Happy going to be here?” He asked, as he fixed his tie, suddenly feeling nervous. Which was preposterous - he had no reason to feel like that. Something about Peter always made him feel like a teenager again, and this was one of those times. “Five? Shit, he’s not waiting downstairs already, is he? Or did I tell him six?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Split the difference, boss. He’ll be here at five thirty.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking at his watch, he saw that they had twenty minutes before they needed to be downstairs. “Right. Okay. This is not difficult. Not complicated. No, it’s <em>very</em> complicated, but that’s besides the point. Stupid. God. We should just-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss, Peter is waiting for you in the living room.” Friday interrupted him. “Should I send him in?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, that won’t be necessary.” He squared back his shoulders, and took one last look in the mirror. Hoping that he wasn’t going to be too dressed up compared to Peter, he walked over to the door and put his hand on the handle. <em>If he’s got on a polo, I’ll change. Hell, I should change anyway</em>. But his hand twisted the knob before he had a chance to go and change, pulling it open slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit.” He looked up when he heard Peter swear, and saw him standing in the middle of the living room, wearing a black suit with a white button up shirt with a dark red tie. “You look hot as fuck.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grinned, and walked over to Peter. “I could say the same about you.” He pretended to dust off the top of Peter’s shoulders. “You look very good in that suit. Didn’t know you owned one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bought it for a formal at school.” Peter looked down at himself, then looked back up at him. “Do you like it? Is it too much? I don’t know what people wear to these kinds of events. And are we eating? Because I’m starving, and if I don’t eat-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll pass out. I know.” Tony brought his hand to Peter’s mouth and covered it, keeping the smile on his face. “Yes, we’re going to dinner before the show. Happy will be here in….ten minutes. Our reservation is at six thirty.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, we’re really going out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that what you wanted?” He asked, as he put his arms around Peter’s waist. “I could cancel the tickets. Donate them. Don’t really care. If you’d feel more comfortable being alone up here - that’s fine by me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I want to go.” Tony smiled when Peter put his face against his chest, stepping closer to him. “But, like - are people going to bother us? I can’t hold your hand, right? Can’t really appear to be anything except what we are normally.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Putting his hand on Peter’s chin, he carefully guided him to look up at him. “We’ve discussed this. I told you it was going to be difficult. Behind closed doors, we can be whatever we want. Out in public-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to behave. I know. I will. Don’t worry.” The look in Peter’s eyes told him everything he needed to know. “Are they going to take our picture tonight?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They might. Unlikely, but it could happen.” He stroked his cheek, continuing to keep his eyes locked onto Peter’s. “We’ll have fun tonight, regardless of how we can be in public. You know that I care for you a lot. No one knows me quite like you do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that so surprising?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little, yeah.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smirked, then lowered his head to lay a soft kiss to Peter’s lips. “Give yourself more credit, Peter.” His phone started to vibrate. “Happy’s downstairs.” He knew without looking that it was going to be a text from his overenthusiastic driver. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“G-Guess we’d better go, then.” His pink tongue darted out of the corner of his mouth to lick the residual left behind by Tony’s lips, which made Tony groan a little. “What is it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.” Tony grabbed a pair of yellow sunglasses, and put them on. “Let’s go, before Happy gets irritated. You ready?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Putting their shoes on by the door - both opting for black and white Converse with their outfits - they went into Tony’s elevator together. He reached for Peter’s hand and held it, knowing that it might not be enough, but it would have to do for now. Before they reached the lobby, he casually took his hand away, then placed it on the middle of Peter’s back as it opened at the lobby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Happy was standing by the back passenger door. “Evening, sir. Peter - you clean up nice.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Happy!” Tony didn’t have to look at Peter to know he was smiling.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got into the backseat, and moved over so that Peter could join him. “Happy - we’re on time to make our reservation, yes?” He asked, as he got comfortable in the backseat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are. I should have you guys there in about thirty, thirty-five minutes.” Happy looked at him through the rearview mirror. “I’ll give you guys some privacy.” Without saying anything, Happy raised the partition up, leaving the two of them alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter leaned up against him, and yawned softly. “Mind if I take a quick nap, Eds?” Peter asked, Tony lifting his arm to put him in a better position against his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not at all, sweetheart.” He lowered his head, and kissed the top of his head. It felt nice calling him that, and since he hadn’t heard an objection from him yet he was going to roll with it. “Try not to drool if you can.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Expecting a laugh out of him, Tony wasn’t surprised when he heard a soft snore instead. He got his arm comfortable around him, and decided maybe a quick snooze wouldn’t be so bad. Resting his cheek on the top of his head, Tony closed his eyes and followed Peter’s breathing pattern, drifting off to a light sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of the partition lowering woke him up a half hour later. “We’re here.” Happy announced, as they had pulled up the restaurant he’d made reservations at. “You’re walking to the show after, yes?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we are. Pick us up in front.” Tony yawned a little, then looked down at Peter who was still sleeping. “Hey, Peter…” He gave a tiny shake to his shoulder. “Time to wake up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nnnnooo…” He hid his smile behind his hand as Peter slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Are we already there?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are.” Looking down, he was glad to see that no drool had fallen onto his sweater. “Time to eat, and then we’re going to our show.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Kay.” Peter yawned, then stretched. Happy opened the back door for them, Peter stepping out first. “Whoa!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Smoothing down his sweater, Tony followed and looked at Happy. “Go have a nice night. We’ll see you in a few hours.” Putting his hand on Peter’s shoulder, he pointed to the restaurant nearby. “That’s where we’re going.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it, Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded his approval at the way Peter addressed him, even though he’d been hoping to hear him say ‘Eds’. It was going to take some getting used to, hearing him call him that in public more. He was so used to their privateness, that this was going to be a fun challenge. He opened the door for him, and then the hostess was quick to show them back to a private room to enjoy their meal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you always get this kind of treatment?” Peter asked, as they finished their meal. “I don’t really go to these kinds of places, so I’m not sure if this is the normal, or if it’s because it’s you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony smirked, and set his napkin down on the table. “It’s mostly because it’s me. I prefer to not be bothered during my meals, which means I tend to eat at establishments that have private rooms, or options where I can be away from the public.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That must be exhausting.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It can be. But, it’s the price I put on my own head when I told the world who I was.” He was used to it. “Now, would you like dessert? We’ve got a little bit of time before we need to head to the theater.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty full.” Peter glanced down at his empty plate. “That food was super rich. I’m afraid I might fall asleep again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dinner had been incredibly pleasant. The conversation between the two of them flowed as naturally as it did when they would talk to each other through their chat. Tony had been a little worried that Peter might clam up, or hell - he might too - but they both were relaxed as they ate their meal and discussed a variety of subjects. He laughed, and reached over to ruffle the curls on the top of Peter’s head. It felt good to touch him like that. “We’ll grab dessert on the way back to my place tonight. Or, I’ll have Happy do it. Give him something to do. What’s your favorite dessert?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fresh baked cookies, and cherry pie.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wrong season for cherries, but I think we can get some fresh baked cookies.” He pulled his phone out, and sent a text to Happy. “<em>Stop at Insomnia Cookies before picking us up and get two dozen cookies. All assortments that they have. If they’re running low, tell them who you are and say you’ll wait if necessary</em>.” He waited for Happy’s confirmation that he’d received the text, then put his phone back into his pocket. “Then, if you’re finished, want to head to the theater?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Mr. Stark.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took care of their meal with cash, then led him down the street towards the theater they were going to. It was fun watching Peter try to guess which one they would be stopping at for their show. “It’s this one.” Tony pointed to the theater that was currently showing one of the hotter tickets on Broadway at the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re seeing Spongebob Squarepants?!” The excitement in Peter’s voice was exactly what he’d been hoping to hear. “No way!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you approve? Good. Wait here, while I go get our tickets from Will Call.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>People stepped out of the way for him as he went to stand in line for their tickets, and after showing his ID was given their two tickets and then someone directly from the theater came out to greet him and escort them into the theater. Peter stayed by his side the entire time, and when they took their seats, Tony casually put his hand on his knee and gave it a light squeeze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You doing good, Ben?” He asked, leaning over to whisper into his ear. “Everything is good, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything is good.” Peter nodded his head, the look on his face making it damn difficult for Tony to not lean forward and capture those perfect lips with his own. “This is really great, Eds. I didn’t expect to be seeing this musical.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a hot ticket right now. And I know you love your pop culture stuff, so I thought this would be a good fix. You do like musicals, don’t you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>More people began to fill the theater, Tony being cautious with his touches to Peter’s body. He made sure to keep his leg right up against his. It might not have been much, but it was enough for him. As the lights in the theater dimmed and they were whisked away to Bikini Bottom, Tony put his hand on Peter’s thigh and felt him rest his hand on top of his, which was perfect. That’s where it stayed for the first act, and then returned once the second act began. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That show was incredible!” Peter stood up and looked at him after the curtain call was done. “Thank you so much, Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.” It had been a fun night. He had no idea what the musical was going to be about, and was pleasantly surprised by the end of the show. “Happy should be waiting for us outside.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Might take a bit.” The theatergoers were slow moving as the theater emptied out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay. He’ll wait. He has to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony had thought about leaving before the curtain call, as that’s when he would normally go for the other shows he’d attended in the past. But he wanted Peter to have the full experience of a Broadway show, and that meant staying for the curtain calls, and then suffering as the theater emptied out. But as they moved slowly towards the exit, it gave Tony the opportunity to keep his hand on Peter’s back, keeping him close as they moved together. It took them twenty minutes to leave the theater, the crowd still very much a thing as they made their way towards the street. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Over here!” Tony looked to the left and saw Happy was waving at them. Grinning, he put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and guided him to go the opposite direction, keeping his hand on him as they approached where Happy was with the car. “I’m glad I saw you guys.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Happy! Sorry it took so long! There’s a lot of people!” Peter apologized for them, as Happy got the passenger door open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine. I’m surprised Tony didn’t escape before the end like he normally does.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Traitor.” He shook his head at Happy, and followed Peter into the back of the car. The car smelled like cookies, and he was pleased to see two large boxes resting on the floor in a position that neither of them would step on them. “Never mind, I take it back.” He called out as Happy closed the door and made his way to the front of the car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hand touched his thigh, drawing his attention away from the boxes and to his date who had a very big smile on his face. “You got us cookies?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did.” Tony nodded. “I told you I would.” Happy closed the partition, leaving the two of them alone behind the privacy glass. Satisfied that they would be left alone for the duration of the ride, Tony put his hand on Peter’s face and lowered his own to kiss his lips softly. “Been wanting to do that all night.” He murmured, leaving another kiss on his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve wanted that too…” Peter’s soft moan sent the blood rushing south in his body. “K-Kiss me again?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony couldn’t say no to such a request, when it had been his intentions regardless if Peter had asked for it or not. Keeping his hand tucked underneath Peter’s ear, he held his head still and proceeded to return his lips to his, this time with his own slightly parted so that he could slot his upper lip against the seam of Peter’s two lips. He sucked on his lower lip, then moaned low as Peter opened his mouth to him, allowing him to push his tongue in to give his wet muscle a few licks before pulling back to end the kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you have fun tonight?” He asked, his voice a pitch lower than normal, as he continued to let his lips touch Peter’s jawline. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I d-did…” Another soft moan filled his ears, as he rubbed his cheek along Peter’s jawline. “W-Will it take us long to get back to the tower?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked out the window, and saw that they were already close. “No.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When we get back…..bed?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyebrow raised up, curious to see what Peter was going to suggest. “To sleep?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or other things….?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moaning low, Tony nodded his head as he kissed Peter again. “Sounds perfect, Peter.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Happy went underground and took them right to where he normally parked his car by his private elevator entrance. Tony grabbed the two bags full of cookies, and listened to Peter thank Happy again for driving them. He said goodbye to him, and then waited for Peter to take care of the elevator for the two of them. The ride up didn’t take very long, and once they were in his penthouse, Tony set the cookies down on the dining room table and looked at Peter, who was standing in the middle of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bedroom?” Tony asked, wanting to make sure that Peter still wanted to go in there right now, rather than sit and unwind on the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The vigorous nod of his head made him chuckle softly. “P-Please.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony walked over to him, and saw that Peter’s cheeks were a beautiful shade of pink. “Are you sure?” Peter nodded again, equally as vigorous as before. Cupping his cheek, he brought his thumb to rest against his cheekbone as he stared into his eyes, knowing that whatever was about to happen would be life changing for the both of them. “Lead the way.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s heart pounded in his chest, his ears ringing with the sound of the steady beat. It had been the perfect night, and now he was terrified he was about to screw it all up. But there was no reason to be nervous right now. No, that wasn’t true - there was <em>plenty</em> of reason to be nervous right now. Was he about to hand in his V-card to his mentor? The man he’d fantasized about on more than one occasion in the past that he never <em>ever</em> thought he would wind up in this situation with him? <em>Yay for insomnia?</em> That thought made him snort, which then led to a hand touching his shoulder. He looked up and groaned, moving his head too fast to look up at Tony </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on, Ben?” Tony asked, his voice soft. “You look like you’re going to be sick.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I? That’s not good. I feel okay. No, that’s not true. I’m nervous as all hell right now.” He groaned, and leaned against Tony, whose arm was quick to wrap around him. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous. It’s stupid, right? Sorry, I’m trapped in my mind and I don’t know how to get out.” Planting his face against Tony’s soft cashmere sweater, he sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two arms surrounded him, Tony hugging him. He brought his own arms up to return the hug, being careful to not use too much force with his strength. “We don’t have to go to the bedroom right now. We can play a game of chess, if you want? Eat some of those cookies I had Happy pick up for us. I will continue to tell you this, because I’m afraid you think I want something when sure - I do, but I can <em>wait</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You make it sound so easy, but here I am, my heart jackhammering once again to Flight of the Bumblebee, but it’s not because of a nightmare.” Peter held onto Tony’s back with his hands balled up into fists. “It’s stupid. I know it’s not a race. But you’re <em>you</em>. And I know you’ve had sex. Hell, you told me before you’ve tried <em>kinky</em> sex - which I honestly have no idea what the hell you meant by that, but we can talk about that another time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s laughter made his cheeks grow warm, but his chest felt like it was floating. “Oh, Ben. What am I going to do with you? And you remember that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded his head, keeping his face pressed against the soft cashmere. “You make me have a bit of a complex. But I don’t think anything can change that. I just have to get over it. I know you’re more experienced than me. I just….” He looked up at Tony, who was listening to him with rapt attention. “I don’t want to disappoint you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t.” Peter could feel his knees wanting to buckle as he stared into Tony’s eyes, feeling his breath slowly leaving his body as he kept his eyes on him. “Nothing you do will ever disappoint me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not true.” He whispered, thinking of the nightmares that have become a regular occurrence. The ferry. Taking the suit away. The utter disappointment on Tony’s face when he’d messed up. “I’ve done it before. I know I’ll do it again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two hands touched his face. “Let’s get one thing straight. What happened in the past is already done. We can’t go back to that. All we can do is move forward. You will <em>not</em> disappoint me in the bedroom. Outside of it? No doubt in my mind that we’ll both make each other upset at some point. It’s who we are. What our personalities are. But in the bedroom? Never.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for your honesty, Eds. I think.” A weak smile stayed on his face, as he looked up at Tony. “You said something about chess?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony nodded, and pulled his hands away from his face. His cheeks felt warm with the residual heat from Tony’s fingers, then turned with him towards the dining room table. “These cookies are hopefully still warm. If not, I’ll put some in the microwave for us. You want some milk?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, please.” Peter grabbed the chess board, and set up a new game for the two of them. “How many cookies did you buy??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Two dozen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds, are we having a party tomorrow?? Or are you expecting us to both eat a dozen cookies over the next two days?” He set the last piece on the board, as Tony walked over with two glasses full of milk. “I thought I was staying here because you wanted to see if we’d sleep well together again. Eating that much sugar is going to keep me up all night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With your fast metabolism, it’ll be out of your system in no time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the boxes was pulled out of the bag and put on the table. It was then that he noticed the bakery that the cookies came from. “Did you really get these from a bakery called Insomnia?” Peter asked, as he looked at the options in the bag. “Oh, wow. These look so good!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have two right now. We’ll save the rest for later.” Peter took a sugar cookie, and a chocolate chip cookie with M&amp;Ms. He watched Tony grab an oatmeal raisin and snickerdoodle. “Want yours heated up?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, they’re fine as is.” Peter tore off a piece of the sugar cookie, and popped it into his mouth. It began to melt on his tongue, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the confectionary treat. “Wow. These are really, <em>really</em> good. How did you find out about them?” He tore off another piece, and held it up to Tony’s lips. “Want to try it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He bit his lip as Tony leaned forward, clearly wanting him to feed him the piece of cookie instead of handing it to him. Lifting his fingers up to his mouth, he swallowed a moan as Tony took the little piece of cookie with his tongue, then watched as he pulled it into his mouth. Then he went a step further and licked the few crumbs that were clinging to the pad of his finger with his lips, licking them off after chewing his bite. “That’s pretty good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Right?” His voice wavered a bit as Tony kissed the tips of his fingers again. “How’s yours?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you like a taste?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter knew that it was an innuendo. It had to be. The way Tony’s eyes beckoned him, <em>teased</em> him with their sultry look - he couldn’t mean just tasting the cookie. Nodding his head, he saw him hold a piece of cookie in his hand, and took the silent invitation to move his head down towards his hand. It was a piece of a chocolate chip cookie, the chocolate morsels melting as soon as it touched his tongue. He groaned softly, swallowing the sweet bite and then licked the pads of Tony’s fingertips, much like he’d just done to him. Only this time, Tony’s finger stayed between his lips, as his tongue gave it a good licking. He knew he could stop at any time, but a part of him didn’t really want to. And it seemed that Tony understood, as a second finger was gently pushed in with the first, Peter’s lips quick to wrap around both as his tongue slid between the two digits now in his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you kiss another part of my body with that kind of attention, Peter?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not Ben, but <em>Peter</em>. His stomach dropped to the floor, Tony’s question one he knew he was going to have to answer. Whether or not it was verbal was another consideration. He’d never sucked on a man’s cock before, but had seen plenty of clips on YouPorn and Gaytube. Although that might not have been the best teacher, since most videos he’d seen had men choking and spitting up on cocks, which just did <em>not</em> sound fun to him. These thoughts swirled in his head as he pushed his lips down towards Tony’s knuckles, his tongue slipping over each finger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew he could ask. He knew he was the one with the power. Pulling his lips back, he then pulled his head back so that Tony’s fingers disappeared from his mouth. Staring at him, he nodded his head, and slowly slipped off the chair he was sitting on and kneeled in front of Tony. “Show me?” He asked, a little shocked by how his voice sounded but didn’t draw any attention to it. “Please, Tony?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish.” Peter’s heartbeat sped up at the comment, then increased again as Tony’s hand went to his belt and pulled it open. The sound of his zipper being pulled down seemed so much louder than it really was, and then his hand was reaching into his briefs to pull out his cock for him. Peter inhaled a sharp breath through his mouth, his eyes staring at the glistening tip of Tony’s cock. “There’s nothing to be scared of right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not scared.” His hands touched smooth fabric, Tony’s slacks bunching up under his hands as he pulled himself forward to be closer to his crotch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a terrible liar. You know that, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s teasing tone had him lifting his head up, a smile naturally appearing on his face. “Shut up, jerk.” He lowered his head, and gave a good look at his cock. It was thick - definitely bigger than the two fingers that had been inside of his mouth. He saw it twitch a little, his mouth beginning to salivate as he inhaled the deep musk that rolled off of Tony’s body. With his heartbeat continuing to fill his own ears, he brushed his lips against the tip of his cock and released a soft moan at how <em>soft</em> the skin felt. He got a feel for how it felt to rest the tip against his lips, then began to move his head from side to side, making the tip wet with saliva as he tasted that distinct tang he remembered from last weekend hit his taste buds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t know how difficult it is for me to keep still.” The way Tony spoke was not like anything he’d heard before. Peter moaned in response, as his lips and tongue continued to become acquainted with Tony’s cock. “Your mouth is pushing me in a way I haven’t felt in a <em>very</em> long time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That comment was enough for Peter to know that Tony wasn’t comparing him to anyone else right now, and that made him feel <em>good</em>. He stared up at him as he began to push his lips down his girthy cock, angling his head to receive more of it without accidentally choking on it. The look in Tony’s eyes made him palm his own erection, the heat blazing in his brown eyes making him hot all over. He knew he wouldn’t be able to take all of his thickness in, so in order to help himself he put his hand at the base, and kept it there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you like how it feels, sweetheart?” Peter’s eyes rolled back at the name, loving it more each time he heard him say it. “It’s hot and heavy, isn’t it?” He groaned and nodded his head, bobbing his head slow to taste the salt on Tony’s skin, the prevalent musk filling his nostrils as he took a deep breath. “You’re doing so well. So well, Peter….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His fingers curled into the fabric more as he brought himself up onto his knees, and pushed his lips down the thick shaft as far as he could. Keeping his throat relaxed, he felt the tip rub against the back of his throat, but didn’t choke him. He felt spit drip down onto his fingers, more of that tang tickling his taste buds as he pulled his lips back up towards the tip. Tony’s hand touched his hair and he released another ragged moan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this alright?” The fingers in his hair began to curl around the strands. Peter nodded, as he pushed his mouth back down towards the root, his own cock throbbing as Tony’s moans started to happen at a more steady pace. “I’m going to stand, sweetheart.” He gave a small nod of his head, not wanting to pull his mouth off of him but knew it might have to happen. Pushing back on his knees, he kept his lips around the tip as Tony stood up from his chair, his cock now going further back into his mouth with ease. “If it’s too much, tell me. You’re doing great, Peter. You have no idea how good you’re making me feel right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, he had a pretty good idea because of the moans that kept pouring out of Tony’s mouth. With the slacks no longer under his hand, Peter brought it to his low hanging sac, and gave Tony’s balls a gentle squeeze. He moaned low as Tony exhaled a deep moan with that touch. He knew Tony was going to come soon, and so he doubled his efforts. Bobbing his head faster, he moved his hand up and down his cock opposite to what his lips were doing. He felt Tony start to roll his hips, which he was more than ready for. His jaw was beginning to hurt a little, but he didn’t care. All he wanted right now was for Tony to come. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fingers in his hair tightened their hold. “P-Peter….” Tony’s voice hitched on his name, Peter pushing his lips down as far as he could as he felt the thickness begin to throb hard against his tongue. The tang of Tony’s cum began to shoot into his mouth, reflexively swallowing every single burst with a deep groan. He felt his own pants grow warm and wet as he came without being touched, his arousal skyrocketing thanks to the noises, and taste, of Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dropping down to rest on his knees, Peter pulled his mouth off the softening cock and panted softly. “W-Wow.” He looked up at Tony, and saw him struggling to find the chair to sit back down. “Was that good, Tony?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you kidding?” Tony pulled him up to sit on his lap, which he was more than eager to do as their mouths came together for a hot and searing kiss. Peter moaned into Tony’s mouth as his tongue pushed into his, his tongue still coated with the flavor of his cum. “You taste so good right now, baby….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shivered at the nickname, and brought his lips back to Tony’s. “I liked that. Thank you for giving me the push I needed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He realized after a few seconds of collecting himself that his underwear was annoyingly wet. “Um….would you mind if I excused myself for a few?” He asked, not really wanting to leave his spot on Tony’s lap, but if he didn’t take care of this soon, it would stain his slacks and that wasn’t something he really wanted to explain to either May or some lovely dry cleaner. “I won’t be gone long.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only if you promise to hurry back. We still have to finish our cookies.” Tony’s beard rubbed against his cheek, bringing the hairs on his arms to stand up. “Go.” He slipped off of his lap with a little tap on his ass. “Hurry back, though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will.” He turned around and put his hands in front of his crotch so that Tony wouldn’t be able to see. Which was silly because he knew Tony wouldn’t care - he’d probably be flattered by it. But he wasn’t about to take that chance, so he quickly walked to the guest bedroom and left the door slightly ajar as he undid the belt at his pants, and grabbed some tissue to wipe up the mess that was clinging in a clump on his softening cock and pubes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A hand touched his hip, startling him as he still had his hand down his boxers. “What do we have here?” Tony’s lips were right by his ear, sending heat flooding to his cheeks as Tony’s hand closed over the wrist that was trying to wipe up the evidence of his enthusiasm. “Well, what do you know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“D-Don’t.” Peter shook his head, mortified that Tony had to see him like this. “You weren’t supposed to see me doing this….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not?” The hand that had wrapped around his wrist slowly pulled away. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about right now, sweetheart. If anything, this is a very nice compliment, because I know for a fact you weren’t touching yourself when your mouth was on my cock.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His cheeks grew hot at how casual Tony sounded. He wasn’t used to hearing him talk like this, and it was a lot to take in. “You’re right. I w-wasn’t touching myself. I was too busy trying to see what was working and what wasn’t. And listening to you moan - it really turned me on.” He spoke in a rush, needing to get the words out before he grew too embarrassed and stuttered like a fool through them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you still turned on?” Tony asked, turning away from him to give him a little privacy to wipe up the globs of cum still sticking to his skin.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think you need to finish up, and then follow me to my bedroom. That’s what I think.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew he was right. They could be having more fun together in the sanctuary of Tony’s bedroom, but for some reason his fear was keeping him from nodding his head. “I thought we were going to play a round of chess and eat our cookies.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can do both in my bedroom. And we can make it fun.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How so?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well….you’ve heard of strip poker, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter started to laugh, feeling a little less on edge at the way Tony was raising his eyebrows up and down suggestively at him. “You want to play strip chess? Is that even a thing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Probably not, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make it that way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds, there are too many pieces on the chessboard. I’m not wearing nearly enough clothing to make that a reality.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I guess you’d better make sure you win real fast, otherwise we play naked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew Tony meant it. The last time they’d been naked, the lights had been off in his bedroom, making it a lot easier to be able to touch him without having to think about it. But now, with this offer on the table, he knew he was going to have to do as he said - win fast - or he was going to have to be hyper aware of how they would both be naked. Which is absurd - he just had the man’s cock in his mouth. But he couldn’t help it; he was still learning how to navigate this new branch to their relationship. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Feeling mildly more comfortable than he did before, he looked at his overnight bag. “I guess it would be pointless to dress in some pajamas right now, if we’re going to do this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would think you would want more clothing on, not off.” Tony smirked, as he started to walk out of the room. “Come along, Ben. I’ll grab the chessboard. You grab the cookies.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter followed him out, his skin still slightly sticky with the residual of what happened earlier. He tried not to think about any stain, the whole reason he’d come back in here. But Tony was right - if they were going to play strip chess, then he was going to have to have everything available to him. He saw him pick up the chessboard without moving any of the pieces, and then grabbed their glasses of milk and a box of cookies. The ones they had been munching on earlier sat on the table, Peter figuring they’d be fine for now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The box was placed on the edge of the bed, as Tony put the chessboard down on the middle of the mattress. “Alright, Ben. Do you want to go first, or do you want me to go first?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Flip a coin?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fair enough. Heads I start, tails you start. Friday? Do the honors please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of a coin flipping came through one of the hidden speakers in the bedroom. “It’s tails.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smirk on Tony’s face made his own stomach roll. “Looks like it’s you, sweetheart. The rules - if you take one of my pieces, I strip. If I take one of yours, you strip. Whoever winds up with the most clothes on will be the winner, even if we don’t finish the game.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is ridiculous.” Peter grabbed a cookie from the box and started to munch on it as he stared at the board. “How many times have you done this?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Honestly? This is my first time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced up and saw the smirk had been traded for a smile. “Seriously?” Peter held the cookie in his hand as he looked at Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Strip chess, yes. Strip poker? Had a league at MIT.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter snorted. “Of <em>course</em> you did. You must have been tons of fun at parties. You count cards, don’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My lips are sealed. Now quit stalling and move your pawn. I know what you’re doing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking back down at the board, Peter rolled his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmhmm. A likely story.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He moved his pawn on the board, and saw Tony make his move. The air in the room was thick with tension - whether it was from a competitive nature, or a different kind, Peter couldn’t tell. He managed to get the first piece off the board, and gave a little ‘Woo!’ when Tony pulled his sweater off seductively. But as soon as that piece was off the board, Tony came back and attacked him, one of his pieces now gone. He reached up and gave a slight tug on his tie, pulling it off and dropping it on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you ever thought about what it would feel like to be tied up?” Tony asked, as Peter looked at the board. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. “U-Uh, I’m not sure what you mean. I’ve been tied up before. Not a very fun experience.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would have to agree. But no, I meant in the bedroom.” The tie was picked up, Peter’s throat becoming parched as he watched Tony wrap it around his fist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know I was having a problem with you in the guest room, right?” Peter blurted out, his pants suddenly becoming painfully tight as he moved his piece on the board. “H-How am I supposed to say yes or no to that question? Is this your kinky sex stuff? Oh, wait. You’re trying to distract me, aren’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It might be.” Tony unfurled the tie, and put it back on the bed. “And maybe I am. Maybe I’m not.” The smirk returned to Tony’s lips as they stared at one another, Peter’s heart beating fast. “One step at a time, hmm?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please.” He begged, not wanting to adjust himself, but it was becoming painfully obvious how he was handling this conversation. He took another piece of Tony’s off the board. “Next piece of clothing, please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His heart hammered as Tony took off his belt, and set it to the side. “Am I making you nervous, Ben?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How could you tell?” Peter knew that the move he’d just made was going to force another piece of Tony’s to take him off the board, and was trying to mentally prepare himself for losing his shirt. <em>I’ve got an undershirt on</em>. “Y-Your turn.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And just like he knew, Tony took that piece off the board with his own. “Next piece of clothing. <em>Please</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sitting up, he began to unbutton his shirt, his fingers trembling slightly. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves as he made his way down to his torso. Pushing the panels off, he slid it off of his shoulders and put it down on the edge of the bed. “My turn?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It would be, yes.” He could hear the slight change in the way Tony spoke to him, now that he was sitting in just his undershirt. Which shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but considering how their relationship feels like it’s always changing, it added an element that hadn’t been there before. “Let’s see who loses the next bit of clothing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes took in the whole board, and saw that he could make a move that took one of Tony’s pawns out, but decided to go for a different option. He heard Tony snort, which clued him in that he knew what he was doing. “Something wrong, Eds?” He asked, speaking coyly. “Need some milk?” He pointed to the glass he’d set down on Tony’s nightstand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could use something creamy, if that’s what you’re offering.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, my God. Eds, what the hell?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony laugh, as his face felt like it was burning. “You’re too easy to tease, Peter. I’m sorry. I’ll stop. You know I only tease because I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s head jerked up as he stared at Tony. “What?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You heard me.” Tony stared back at him, Peter’s face now growing warm for an entirely different reason. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did I? Because I’m beginning to wonder if I heard it right. Maybe I’m asleep right now. Fell asleep due to an overdose of milk and cookies.” His heart was pounding, still not recovered from the earlier mention of being tied up, and now here Tony was - casually confessing something with the actual words and not just a line from a movie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take the next piece off the board, and maybe I’ll repeat it for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking at the board, there were a few different moves where he could take one of Tony’s pieces without any retribution. And he had a feeling that he knew that as well. “I thought if I took a piece off the board, you would have to take off a piece of clothing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It sounds like a win-win situation for you.” He heard the way Tony’s voice dropped a little in pitch, and saw him move the box of cookies off the bed. He reached over and took the last bite of the cookie Peter had been eating, and put it in his mouth. “Or are you afraid to hear me say it again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-No, I’m not.” Peter felt like the room was spinning as he reached for that one piece. He moved it to Tony’s piece and picked it up. Setting it down with the other pieces he’d collected so far, he carefully returned his gaze to Tony’s eyes. “So.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony stood up and began to unbutton his shirt. Peter decided to move to the edge of the bed where he balanced on his knees and began to take over the task for him, his fingers trembling as he took each button out of its buttonhole. “Afraid I won’t take it off properly?” Tony asked. Peter shook his head as he stared up at him, hoping that Tony couldn’t see how hard his heart was beating right now. “Or are you afraid I won’t tell you I love you again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday, lights.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room was enrobed in darkness, but not before he saw Tony lunged forward and Peter felt the full weight of his body on top of his own. The chess pieces scattered, neither of them paying any mind to it as Peter used his thigh to push it out of the way. His mouth was latched to Tony’s, as his hands went up the back of his shirt, his blunt nails making their way down his back. Tony’s tongue pushed around in his mouth, Peter moaning as their tongues touched and stroked each other with needy kisses. His mind was spinning out of control, Tony’s declaration of love a second time still echoing in his ears as he wrapped his leg around his waist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cold fingers touched his chest, forcing him to break off the kiss with a gasp. “C-Cold!” He cried out, as Tony splayed his fingers on his chest. “Why are you so cold?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It happens when I get unreasonably nervous.” The touch of his beard against his neck brought a soft moan out of Peter’s mouth, tilting his head more for him. “They’ll warm up soon. Bear with it for a few more seconds.” Tony’s lips touched his ear. “You’re warming them up perfectly, baby…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He moaned at the endearment, his hips lifting up to push against Tony’s. “Why are you n-nervous?” He held on to that comment, getting used to the cool fingers. Then Tony’s hand was moving down to his slacks. “A-Are you going to take them off?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to do a lot of things right now, Peter.” Groaning, he lifted his hips up to help him get his pants and underwear off, thankful that he’d turned off the lights. Somehow the lack of illumination helped facilitate the urges that he might not normally explore if they had been on. “It’s time I return the favor you showed me earlier.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh <em>God</em>….” Peter tossed his head back as he felt the touch of Tony’s lips on his sensitive cock. He heard, and felt - <em>holy shit holy shit holy shit</em> - the deep chuckle that Tony released, and soon was grabbing on to the bedsheet for dear life as those teasing lips continued to move back and forth over the tip of his cock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please relax, Pete….” Tony’s tongue started to lap at tip, Peter all but caterwauling now. “My gosh, you’re so vocal. Who knew you’d be this vocal with just a little blow job?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m s-sorry, Mr. Stark…” He slipped to his old habit of calling Tony by that name. He felt Tony’s hand hold on to his hip, and pushed it down onto the bed with a soft hold. “I m-mean, Tony…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Much better.” Tony kissed the tip, then his tongue began to lick his cock starting from the base. The stimulation was unlike anything he’d ever felt before, and it was driving him mad. “Say it again, Peter…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony….” Peter moaned his name, as the head of his cock slipped into the older man’s mouth. He groaned, his left hand letting go of the bedsheet in favor of pushing it through the soft tufts of hair on the top of his mentor’s head. <em>Oh my god, this is happening - this is happening</em>. His hips gave a little roll, Tony’s hand doing nothing to stop him from doing it again. He pushed more of his cock into the wet heat of Tony’s mouth, his moans becoming more and more debauched. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Tony’s mouth slips all the way down to the base, Peter released a choked off moan as his fingers held tight to his hair. The way Tony was sucking on his cock, he knew he was going to explode at any moment. Wanting to warn him somehow someway, he tried but all that came out of his mouth were more desperate moans. He wasn’t aware that he was humping Tony’s face now, the tip of his cock nudging against the back of his throat with each push forward. His chest lifted up, then dropped back down as a cry left his mouth at the same moment his cock began to erupt inside of Tony’s mouth. He shook from head to toe as he felt him swallow, the little glottal motion tickling the tip of his cock, increasing the pleasure tenfold. He could do nothing but take it, as each burst was swallowed by Tony, who was now stroking his hip with his thumb, moaning low after each swallow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter moved his head from side to side, as Tony’s beard began to tickle his inner thigh. “S-Stop…” He begged, slightly breathless as his cock twitched inside of his mouth. “T-Too much….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, baby…” Tony’s mouth came off of his with a soft <em>pop</em>. “How was that?” Tony rubbed his face against his thigh, Peter looking down at him with a smile on his face. “Was that your first?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah. Sort of. The girl I dated last year tried, but as soon as she got to the tip, she freaked out and that was that.” Exhaling a breathy laugh, he pulled on Tony’s shoulder, happy that he could tell what he wanted. Their lips came together, his tongue pushing into his mouth to taste himself on his tongue. He moaned softly, growing slightly aroused by the way Tony let him explore his mouth. “Was I okay…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were <em>perfect</em>, Peter.” Tony pulled him into his arms, the two finding a comfortable spot where there were no chess pieces. “You tired now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yawning softly, he nodded his head. “A little. But what about you?” He knew there was no way that Tony hadn’t been turned on by what they had just done. “Can I return the favor again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe in the morning.” He heard Tony yawn, and then felt his arms tighten their hold around him. “Although, I should probably move the board off the bed. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wake up with a pawn up my ass.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, and shook his head. “Neither do I. Let me help?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You stay right there.” A kiss to his temple made him hum softly. “Don’t move.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of pieces being collected, and then a soft swear under Tony’s breath made him laugh again. He heard him put the chessboard back on the table in the dining room, then saw his shadow return to the bedroom. With Tony’s help, they got under the covers, and soon he was back in his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweet dreams, Peter.” Tony pulled him a little closer to his body. “Everything is good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You too, Tony. Here’s hoping we can sleep through the night together. Let’s see if the control was correct.” He turned over, and pressed his face against Tony’s neck. “I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s arms held him a little tighter. “I love you too, sweetheart. Here’s hoping.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter fell asleep to the sound of Tony’s deep breaths, hoping to stay asleep and not have any awful dreams. <em>Please give us a break</em>. That was the last thought on his mind as he drifted away to slumberland. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Tony blinked a few times, and looked over to his left. He could see sunlight streaming into his bedroom through the gap in the curtains, making him exhale a deep breath. <em>We did it</em>. Looking down, he saw that Peter was still curled up against his side sleeping peacefully, which brought a smile to his face. How they’d managed to sleep through the night, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was the fact that they were so close to each other, and couldn’t lash out? What could be the reason that they found comfort in each other, comfort that helped to quell the demons in their minds?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Oh</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was simple, really. As he looked down at Peter, he felt his breath chuff against his chest, letting him know that it might be difficult to wake him up. There was no urgent need to, as his thoughts returned to the reason why they were able to keep each other safe during the night. And it had to do with those three words that he’d accidentally let slip out while they’d been playing chess together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But, he’d told Pepper plenty of times that he’d loved her. Why was Peter different? <em>That’s a dumb question</em>. He snorted under his breath, as he carefully shifted Peter in his arms. He heard him groan at the minimal movement, and was quick to brush his lips against the top of his head in order to help still him again. “Friday? What time is it?” He asked in a somewhat hushed voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Five minutes after ten, boss.” Her voice came through at the same decibel. Which he hoped was quiet enough that Peter didn’t hear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did she say it was after ten?” <em>So much for that wish</em>. Tony looked down and saw Peter was staring up at him, yawning softly as he stretched his body out next to his. “Is that true, Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is.” He nodded his head, as they both shifted again together in the bed, both of his arms now around Peter as they held each other at a somewhat awkward angle. He was trying to be mindful of his own morning stiffness, and had a feeling that Peter was doing the same. “Looks like the control was accurate. Did you have any nightmares?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope.” Peter looked up at him and smiled. “Did you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did not.” Returning his smile, he lowered his head and gave him a soft kiss on the lips - closed mouth. “Morning, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morning, Tony.” And there it was - his own name. He felt his stomach give a little lurch at the way it sounded on Peter’s lips so early in the morning. Okay, maybe not <em>early</em>, but considering they probably went to bed around two or three, it was early for them. “I really like sleeping in your arms a lot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you?” Tony looked into his eyes, and watched as he nodded his head. “Well, guess what. You get to do it again tonight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” The pretend shocked expression on Peter’s face made him laugh. “Is that all I get tonight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His smile turned to a smirk, as he dropped his head to be closer to Peter’s. “You sure that’s something you want to discuss right now? Before breakfast? Before a shower?” He nibbled on his earlobe, loving how responsive he was to the teasing. The half-whine, half-moan that fell from Peter’s lips made his morning stiffness twitch. “Before brushing your teeth?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now you’re making fun of me.” Peter exhaled a soft laugh, which made him chuckle low. “You are, right? Teasing me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now I know you’re lying, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So quick to jump to my other name. Thanks, Ben. Real nice.” He teased a little more, as he brought his lips to his ear. “Guess there’s only one way to find out, hmm?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There we go.” He felt accomplished when he heard that stutter return to Peter’s voice. “Alright, I’ll be good. How about we go grab something for brunch, though? Or, would you prefer I cook?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can go eat somewhere.” The redness on Peter’s cheeks was thoroughly endearing, and Tony wanted to just keep him here in his bedroom all day, but knew that wasn’t going to be a thing. <em>Yet</em>. “Or, we do have two dozen cookies we need to eat.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, excuse me. It’s a dozen and eight.” Tony was quick to correct him, and he heard Peter start to laugh. “We can do whatever you want. My schedule is totally free today.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should we go up to the compound?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that what you want to do?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, I don’t know what we’re going to do all day. Play chess? That’s good for a couple of hours.” Peter shook his head. “And really, we play at night. So that would be weird to play during the day. I mean, I guess we could go for a walk? Run? I don’t know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony began to chuckle softly. “Ben - relax. We don’t have to do much of anything. You can lay on my couch and watch television. We can watch a movie. We <em>could</em> go for a walk through Central Park. Friday? What’s the weather like today?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s going to be a breezy seventy-five today in Manhattan, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His fingers ran down the length of Peter’s side, noticing how his flesh began to pimple with goosebumps. “Is that something you really want to do? But you’re right - chess is a night time activity. How about we go to brunch, and then we can decide what to do with our day?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He decided it was time to test the waters again, and see how Peter would react to his next suggestion. “How about we conserve water, and shower together?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Y-You want to s-s-s-shower? W-W-W-With me??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Maybe he’s not ready</em>. But then again, last night he’d been responsive to the careful nudge he’d given to him in regards to kissing his cock. Maybe he needed another little nudge. “It doesn’t have to be something intimate, Ben. It can be completely clinical, if you want it to be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-B-But you’ll be naked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, but if you want - I can put on a bathing suit if that will make you more comfortable. But you’ll have to be naked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“E-Eds, I’m scared.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked down into his eyes and saw the fear there. Bringing his hand up to his face, he stroked his thumb against his cheekbone. “You don’t ever have to be scared when you’re with me, Peter. I promise - I’m going to take care of you. If you don’t want to shower with me, then we won’t shower together. I don’t mind.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I’m scared to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me your fears. Talk to me. Let’s discuss this.” Tony kept his thumb on Peter’s cheek, gently stroking it. “We need to talk about these things, so we know each other’s boundaries. Am I pushing you too much? You seemed to be receptive to it last night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s different. I don’t know how to describe it.” Peter closed his eyes, taking away the opportunity to look into them. “I know this is always going to be a fear of mine. I’m afraid that I’m too….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too what? Perfect? You’re right, you’re absolutely perfect for me, sweetheart.” He tried to keep his tone playful, which got him to see Peter’s eyes as he opened them to give him a look. “Not the right answer, huh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shook his head. “I’m afraid that my inexperience is going to keep us stagnant. I don’t want you to get bored with me because I’m too afraid to look at your naked body in a well-lit room. I’m afraid <em>my</em> body is going to be a disappointment to you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When have I ever shown you any of those things? Keep us stagnant? This is our second weekend together, Ben.” It felt easier to call him by that name, and he could see Peter was slowly relaxing more every time he did. “Do you think that I forced you to do that last night?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No! No, not at all!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, because you had me worried there for a second.” Tony knew that this was going to be a difficult facet to their new relationship, but he was prepared to meet it head on. “It’s fine. I told you before - you’re the one that’s in control here.” Holding his thumb still, he made a point to look into his eyes as he spoke. “I meant that. If you aren’t comfortable with the idea of showering with me right now, then that’s acceptable. It’ll be acceptable tomorrow, and the day after, and a year later if necessary.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Peter snort. “Okay, I’m not going to hold out for that long. I just need a little more time, Eds. I’m sorry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have nothing to be sorry about.” Lowering his head, he brushed his lips against Peter’s, making sure to keep his mouth shut as he knew that wasn’t something Peter liked. He’d learned that the previous weekend. “Now, why don’t you go take a shower in the guest bathroom, and get ready to go out to brunch.” Pulling his head back, he slowly pulled his hand away from Peter’s face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony stayed under the covers as he saw Peter sit up and stretch, and then watched him quickly pick up his boxers to put them back on. It was rather amusing, but he didn’t laugh or crack any jokes. He knew that Peter was under a lot of pressure, and he didn’t want him to think he was making fun of him, or something else entirely. Once he was out of the bedroom, Tony grabbed his phone and took a look at it. No important messages had come through the night before, which was good. He hated waking up and finding out about a fire he had to put out, or a fire he needed to keep fanning the fuel to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday - are there any reservations available this morning at Auden Bistro?” He stood up and did a few stretches, working out some of the kinks in his shoulder after having Peter sleep in his arms for the entire evening. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get them on the phone for me, please.” He picked up the articles of clothing that had been thrown about the room last night after his confession. <em>That</em> had been risky, but luckily Peter had accepted it, and had even said it to him as they were falling asleep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Auden Bistro - can you please hold?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, no problem.” Tony spoke to the room, as he put his clothes into a hamper. He picked up Peter’s slacks and saw the stain from his little mishap, and decided he would get them laundered for him. Save him the embarrassment of having to deal with that himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for holding. How may we help you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen, I understand that you’re booked for brunch right now, but is there any way you might be able to work in a table for two? This is Tony Stark.” He commented, hoping that it would work. He <em>hated</em> when he had to use his name to get something he wanted, but desperate times called for desperate measures. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Stark? You mean, you’re Iron Man?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That would be correct.” <em>Why is that always their first question?</em> He looked at the clock. “My guest and I would love to have a table for one. Will that be possible?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please hold.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go ahead.” He expected as much. Walking into his bathroom, he heard the hold music playing through the speakers in there, Friday transferring the call for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello? Mr. Stark? You said one, correct? For two people?” The feminine voice came back on the line. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking in the mirror, Tony nodded his head. “That’s correct. One pm.” That gave them plenty of time to get ready. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We look forward to seeing you at one today, sir. Thank you for choosing our restaurant to dine at.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s no problem. Thank you. Goodbye.” He cut off the conversation before the person he was speaking to got a chance to ramble. Reaching into the shower stall, he turned the water on and waited for the steam to rise up before getting into the shower with a soft sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he began to wash his hair, he felt something warm press against his back. Not wanting to get soap in his eyes, he tilted his head back as he continued to wash his hair. “Ben? I hope that’s you, because if it’s not, this is going to be incredibly awkward.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s me.” Peter’s voice was muffled by his back. “I’m here. I’m in the shower with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I’m aware.” Tony chuckled, as he continued to scrub his scalp. “Mind doing me a favor, and let go for just a second? I gotta rinse my hair.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-R-Right! Sorry!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The arms around his body disappeared, giving him the freedom to step forward and under the spray. He scrubbed the shampoo out, then made sure his face was clean before turning around. The water hit his back, protecting Peter from the spray. “I didn’t expect you to join me.” He smiled, and made sure to keep his eyes on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. And I didn’t either. I already showered. It was quick. But, I wanted to come in here with you. And then seeing you, and your….” Peter waved his hand up and down. “It’s a lot to handle.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony pulled Peter into his arms, and rested his head on top of Peter’s, chuckling softly. “You’re adorable, you know that, right? You don’t have to be embarrassed. Have you noticed I haven’t looked at you once?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you trying to make me feel worse, Eds? Because you’re doing a real good job if that’s the case.” The groan against his chest made Tony laugh out loud. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pulling away, he looked down at Peter. “No, I’m not. I’m trying to tell you that I’m being mindful of your body. Do I want to be touching it right now? Yes. Do I want to be on my knees and give your cock some good morning kisses? Again, yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-What?” The blush on Peter’s face was endearing, and made his own chest swell with pride for how hard he was falling for him. “What? No. Tony, no. We can’t. You said we have to get ready, and we were going to have a clinical shower. You didn’t say we were going to do something like that. We can’t. That isn’t what the shower is for. We-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew Peter would continue rambling on if he didn’t do something quick, and so instead of turning around to shower, he did exactly as he stated he wanted to do. Tony got down on his knees and brought his lips to Peter’s cock, seeing that it was very much aroused, which pleased him. As soon as his lips touched the tip, he heard him stop talking and instead a sharp moan burst from his throat as Tony felt Peter’s hand land on the top of his head. Groaning low with approval, he slipped his lips down towards the base, his taste buds beginning to dance as he got to taste Peter again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Last night he’d been very attentive to how Peter had responded to his touches, and was going to put them into practice. His cock was plump, but not the same girth as his own, which was fine. He knew Peter was still developing in a lot of ways. Hell, he remembered when his own cock was around this size. It wasn’t until his late twenties that he really began to fill out, probably thanks to all the sex he had during that period in his life. Pulling his head back up towards the tip, he moaned low as he felt a few drops of cum splash onto his tongue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pulling his mouth off with a soft <em>pop</em>, he kept his lips near the tip as he looked up at him. “See? This isn’t so bad, is it?” He asked, pressing little kisses to the underside of his cock. “Do you want me to stop?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-No, please. I don’t want you to stop. I want your mouth…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want my mouth?” Tony wanted to see if Peter would actually say it. “Tell me, Peter…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want your mouth back on my c-cock.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hand in his hair guided his head back to the tip, which Tony released a deep moan of approval. Pulling him back into his mouth, he began to bob his head, the tip of Peter’s cock now nudging the back of his throat. His hand went to Peter’s ass, and began to tease the teen’s anus, stroking the velvety skin with the pad of his thumb. He heard Peter whine, the hand that was in his hair now holding tight which made him moan lower. It was thoroughly arousing to see Peter slowly accept this, and when he felt him thrust his hips forward, Tony knew that Peter was getting used to how it should be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He switched from using his thumb to using his index finger, and slowly got Peter’s body to open up to him, allowing him to push his finger inside. A pitched moan left Peter’s throat, as he began to feel his cock start to throb against his own tongue. Tony increased the pressure of his lips, sucking on Peter’s cock with perfect precision, as his finger rooted around inside of his body. Once he found his prostate, which Peter had made the most <em>delicious</em> sound, he began to nudge it over and over as he felt him really begin to hump his face. Almost how he’d done it the night before, but Tony could tell that Peter was now trying to get his finger to hit that spot again, which he wouldn’t do. He chose when to touch it, loving to keep him guessing. Desperate whines began to echo in the shower, and soon he felt Peter’s cock twitch and throb against his tongue in a way that he knew his orgasm was imminent. Pushing his lips all the way down to the base, he gave one last push against that spot with his finger and felt the gush of Peter’s cum start to ejaculate down his throat. Taking greedy swallows, Tony savored every drop that Peter gave to him, a small rivulet of cum sliding out from the corner of his mouth as he tried to get every single drop out of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony pulled his finger out of him slowly, bringing his lips up to the tip of his cock. Suckling gently, he heard Peter moan softly, figuring the stimulation was bearable for the moment, but knew it wouldn’t be soon. He gave a few last licks to the slit at the top, then sat back on his knees. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart.” He smiled up at Peter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to do it to you.” Peter stared down at him, his chest heaving for breath. “Please?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Standing up, he nodded his head as he wiped his mouth off. Bringing his thumb to Peter’s lips, he watched as he licked his own cum off the pad of his thumb. “You can do whatever you want. Remember, you’re the one in control.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” Peter licked his thumb more, then slowly sank down to his knees. “D-Do you like…” He held up his hand, clearly too embarrassed to ask what he really wanted to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony smirked, and gave a small shrug of his shoulders. “You don’t have to. You can later. There’s no rush.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You keep saying that, but you’re going to get so bored.” A groan left Peter’s throat, his forehead connecting to his thigh. “Tony, I don’t want to disappoint you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to be a smurf by the time this is all over, aren’t I?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A smurf??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter stared up at him with a confused look on his face. “Because I’m going to be so blue in the face from telling you over and over that you’re <em>never</em> going to disappoint me. But don’t worry - I look nice in blue, so if it’s something that has to happen, then so be it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I honestly don’t know what to say.” A laugh left Peter’s mouth, as he shook his head back and forth. “Fine, I get it. No disappointment. Right. Okay. Okay, you love me. I love you. Right.” His lips started to leave kisses along Tony’s cock, making him shift his feet to find a better position to watch what Peter was doing. “Right.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was about to ask what he was going on about when Peter’s lips touched the tip of his cock for the second time in twenty-four hours. And just as before, he restrained himself from pushing into his mouth, wanting to sink into that warm heat that it provided to his own cock. Tony braced himself by putting one hand on the shower wall, water splashing against his arm in the process, but paid it no mind. No, the only thing he was focusing on right now was Peter, and the way his lips moved up and down on his cock, and how his brown eyes were staring up at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, you’re beautiful like this.” He murmured, bringing his other hand to Peter’s face, caressing his jaw a little. Prior to finding out that Ben was Peter, he’d imagined doing something like this with Ben. He’d almost - <em>almost</em> - instigated some text sex in their conversation, but was really glad he didn’t until he’d met him. And now - now that he knew Ben was Peter? He wasn’t ashamed to admit he’d jerked off once or twice to the thought of the teen, which he knew might not have been the best, but honestly - he was horny and it was a good image. But now? Now his fantasies were turning into a reality that was so much better than he ever could have imagined. “Your mouth is a gift, Peter…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soft moan that Peter exhaled at the praise made his own cock fill with more blood. Tony’s eyes closed, feeling every little lick that Peter’s tongue gave to his cock. Every single time he brought his lips up to the tip, he could feel the tip of Peter’s tongue swipe against his weeping slit, almost as if he were trying to get more from the source. And he knew he’d be giving it to him soon, especially if he kept alternating between sucking and licking his cock. Tony could feel his cock beginning to throb endlessly, his hand pushing against the wall more as if it was helping to keep him grounded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Peter, baby….” He moaned, as he heard Peter groan again. The hand that had been caressing him went to the back of Peter’s head, fingers now tangled in wet strands of hair. A touch to his balls pushed him right over the edge like some damn teenager, Tony gasping as he began to unload everything into Peter’s mouth. His gasp quickly turned to a moan as Peter adjusted, his lips now wrapped firmly around the tip, sucking the very life out of him as Tony road the wave of his orgasm. It was just as good as it had been the night before, maybe a little better because Peter knew exactly what to do to get him over the edge. It was thrilling, and exciting, and damn was it good. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Breathing hard, Tony relaxed the grip he had on the back of Peter’s head, and looked down into his eyes. “W-Was that good, Tony?” Peter asked, his lips swollen from sucking on his cock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was perfect.” He said, slightly breathless. “You did such a good job, sweetheart. You make me come so fast.” The admission slipped off of his tongue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” That seemed to make Peter happy, as he stood up from his knees and wiped his mouth off. Before he could lick, Tony grabbed his hand and started to take care of it for him. He heard him moan, which made his cock begin to stiffen up slightly. He knew he wouldn’t get completely hard, the minor erection something he could work with.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really.” He nodded, and casually guided Peter to turn to face the wall. “Can we try something real quick?” He asked, hoping that Peter would understand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A-Are you going to put it inside of me?” Peter asked, as Tony pushed his chest against Peter’s back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want me to?” Dropping his head, he spoke in a lower register near his ear. “Because if you do, I can.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-No, but will you tease me a little?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He moaned low, nodding his head. “Of course I will, sweetheart.” He guided Peter to part his legs a little more, so that he could rub his cock freely between his spread cheeks. “I don’t want to do it like this for our first time, so don’t worry.” He kissed the side of Peter’s neck, as he brought his hand to Peter’s cock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I d-don’t want that either. T-Teasing is good. E-Everything is good.” Peter moaned, tilting his head back to rest it against his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lowering his head, he brought his lips to Peter’s, kissing him with a long, sensual kiss. “Everything is good, Peter.” He agreed, happy that it didn’t seem like he was pushing him too fast. If there was one thing he never wanted to do, it was make Peter uncomfortable. He knew it was a risk suggesting this, when he’d told Peter over and over that he had the control. He didn’t want him to think he was taking it away from him - that was the furthest thing from his mind. No, he wanted to show things to Peter that he knew he might not be able to ask for, but given he had a healthy sexual appetite, he knew that it was something that he might enjoy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their tongues touched with leisurely strokes, no hurry right now as they got a feel for one another on the lower halves of their bodies. Tony nudged the tip of his cock against Peter’s entrance, but then returned it to being lengthwise against the crack. The moan the teen released had him moaning low into his mouth as he kept a slow and steady pace going with his hand on Peter’s cock, alternating between grinding his full length against him, and pushing the tip back against his hole.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony….” Peter moaned, his face now pressed against his face, Tony groaning as he felt his cock twitch against the palm of his hand. “D-Do that again…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, baby….?” He kept his chest pressed against his back, slowly grinding his hips a little. Pulling back, he pushed the tip of his cock back against him, and felt Peter’s moan reverberate against his neck. “Is that what you wanted?” He murmured, keeping the tip right where it was, teasing Peter while torturing himself. But it was a torture he was willing to endure if it helped Peter get a feel for the inevitable next step they would take together in the future. “Do you like how it feels?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-It’s different.” Wet strands of hair flopped against his neck as Peter nodded his head. “It’s nice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no rush.” Tony whispered into his ear, as he pushed his cock to be lengthwise once more. “We’ve got so much time. Let’s keep taking things slow.” He brought his thumb up to the tip of Peter’s cock, and gave it a gentle rub, listening to him moan a little more. “Will you come again for me….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Tony….” He could hear Peter’s breathing becoming more and more labored, as he jerked him off. “M-Make me come….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Always</em>, Peter….” Bringing his lips back to Peter’s, he kissed him hard as he felt Peter now humping his fist, which he was more than happy to allow. It wasn’t long before he felt the hot fluid of his cum start to seep over his fist, his fingers sliding it up and down his length as he pulled the orgasm out of his body. He moaned low as a little bit of cum slipped from the tip of his own cock, a small orgasm sending a shudder through his body. He kept stroking Peter until he felt nothing else come out of him, then slowly brought his hand up to his own lips and took a little bit more of his essence before letting the water wash it away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter turned around and pulled him down for a kiss, his lips going willingly to him. He pulled them to be under the spray together, his hands sliding down Peter’s body as they stood close to one another. Tony slowly ended the kiss, then looked down into his eyes with a soft smile on his face. “You doing okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” The shy smile on Peter’s face made the smile on his own grow. “W-We should finish up in here, huh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should.” He nodded, and stepped away from him to grab the soap. “Clinical shower now only, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s laughter rang in the shower. “Right. Clinical. No hands. Only hands on my body are my own. And vice versa.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that, they both got cleaned up in the shower, being mindful of each other’s space. There would be a time in the future that Tony knew that their showers wouldn’t be so clinical, but for now - for now, this was good. It was a step in the right direction. He reached behind and turned off the water, then stepped out of the shower and grabbed the both of them clean towels. He handed his to Peter’s, then began to dry off with his own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to go get dressed in the guest room.” Peter said, tucking the towel around his waist. “I’ll meet you back out in the living room?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds perfect, sweetheart.” Tony waited until Peter was a few feet away, then grabbed his arm to pull him back towards him. He laid a kiss on his lips, then brought his head to be close to his ear. “I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I l-l-l-love you too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled as he watched Peter walk out, knowing full well that there was a bright blush on his face. Hell, he could see that the tops of his shoulders were sporting a healthy shade of pink, which made him chuckle. <em>Okay, maybe I need to go back to ‘As you wish’ to spare him</em>. Looking in the mirror, he fixed his hair and grabbed his cologne, giving a few good spritz, and then put some deodorant on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Knowing that the Ritz had a dress code of sorts, and figuring that Peter hadn’t bothered to bring anything that would adhere to that code, he chose to get dressed in a pair of jeans and a Pink Floyd shirt. They could kiss his ass for not adhering to the dress code. He’d be more than happy to take his money elsewhere, but he knew that they wouldn’t refuse them service for that exact reason. Throwing on a pair of black socks, he walked out of the bedroom and saw Peter was standing near the table, munching on a cookie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, no fair.” Tony said, as he walked over and grabbed one for himself. “You’re right - maybe I shouldn’t have bought two dozen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think?” Peter laughed, and ate the last piece of his cookie. “Where are we going for brunch?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Auden Bistro.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The RITZ?! Eds!” He watched Peter shake his head, clearly under duress with this new information. “I’m not dressed for that! And my pants! I can’t wear them again!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Relax.” Putting both of his hands on top of Peter’s shoulders, he could feel him trembling slightly. “Why do you think I’m dressed like this? I knew you wouldn’t. It’s okay. Everything is good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “Everything is good. Yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waited for him to count to five, and then spoke. “Do you feel better now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony chuckled softly, and brushed a kiss to the top of his head as he hugged Peter. “Come on, let’s go show them all that we’re important people. <em>We</em> don’t need a dress code.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We? No, <em>you</em> don’t need a dress code. I’m just along for the ride. God, this was a mistake. Maybe we should just eat the cookies.” Peter started to reach for another, but Tony was quick to grab his hand and hold it to his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it’s awful, we’ll leave. Come on - our reservation is for one.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are we going to do after? Swing by the Waldorf and have their salad?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smirked, bringing his hand to Peter’s damp hair to ruffle his hair. “You’re cute when you’re being sarcastic. No, we’re not going to do that. Do I know what we’re going to do? Nope. But that’s the beauty of spending the day with me. You don’t know what’s going to happen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure that’s something to brag about, Eds.” Peter’s teasing made him turn and give him a look. “What? I’m just being honest with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, ha ha.” Tony pulled his hand away from the top of his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Getting their shoes on, they headed to his private elevator and went down to the garage. Deciding it was a nice day out, Tony grabbed the convertible and opened the passenger door for Peter. He walked around to the driver’s side, and slid into his seat. Grabbing his sunglasses, he put them on and started the engine. “How far is the Ritz from here?” Peter asked, Tony hearing the <em>click</em> of his seatbelt. “It’s nearby, yeah? Can’t we just walk?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We <em>could</em>, if we hadn’t spent a ridiculous amount of time in the shower.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not <em>my</em> fault.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t say it was, Ben.” He reached over and gave Peter’s knee a little jostle, then put his hand back on the wheel. “It’s fine. They have valet. I sort of trust them with my car.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not sure if that’s supposed to be reassuring or not.” Peter said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take it as you want.” Pulling out of the garage, he looked at the street and got into the proper lane. “Now shush - don’t distract me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever you say, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled, happy to just be around Peter right now. It was nice. Different. Better than it had been last weekend. He wasn’t quite sure why it felt different. Last weekend he’d picked him up later in the day. Maybe that was why. Or maybe he was still slightly giddy because their experiment had worked again. Getting an uninterrupted seven hours of sleep had been nice. It was a habit he was looking forward to, but he knew that it wasn’t going to be possible until Peter graduated. So he would have to accept it for what it was, and get good sleep on the weekends. Hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you thinking about right now?” Peter asked him when he stopped at a red light. “You look like you’re concentrating really hard.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I?” Turning his head, he quickly glanced at Peter before looking back at the road. “I was thinking about how nice it was to sleep all night last night. And how I hate that it’s only going to be a weekend thing until you’re done with school, but that can’t be avoided.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A soft sigh came out of the teen’s mouth. “I know. I’m happy I didn’t have any nightmares last night. Maybe we were both just so exhausted that it didn’t matter? Watch, one of us - or maybe the both of us, will wake up tonight, and ruin our control.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, the control can’t be ruined because it’s already happened. Come on, Ben. You know this.” The light turned green, his finger tightening their hold on the steering wheel. “Now it’s just replicating the experiment over and over.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are we going to have sex tonight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony almost slammed on the brakes at the comment, but luckily thought better of it before it happened. “That’s up to you.” He cleared his throat, tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. <em>I’m not ready for this talk</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. You keep reminding me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be like that, Ben.” Tony kept the annoyance out of his voice, but it was bordering on being there. “If it’s bothering you, I won’t say it again. Happy?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, that isn’t what I meant. S-Sorry, Eds. It came out wrong.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They approached another red light, Tony rolling to a stop. He turned to look at him, and shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion you were annoyed. That’s on me. Everything is good.” He looked at Peter, an apologetic smile on his lips. “But seriously, if it’s bothering you-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Green light.” Sighing, he turned his head back to the road. “And no, it’s not. It makes me happy that you’re adamant on wanting to let me control things. For tonight - I don’t know what I want. Part of me wants to say yes, but again, I’m scared. Are we moving too fast? I know we know each other, but will that change everything??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew it was a valid question, but he could see the Ritz coming up. There was no way they could have this conversation out in public, but he didn’t want Peter to think he was blowing him off. “Let’s table this for now. We can talk about it after brunch, okay?” Tony took a quick glance, and saw Peter nodding his head. “The quick answer is yes, it will change. But not in the way you think it will.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure I follow, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, and that’s why I said we’ll talk about it later.” He came to a stop at the valet. “We’re here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The valet opened Peter’s door first, and he watched as he got out of the car. Fixing his sunglasses, Tony waited for the valet to come to his door and then opened it for them. “Brunch today, Mr. Stark?” The valet asked, as he was handed a ticket. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know it, Ruiz. Take good care of her, okay?” He said, slipping him a fifty. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, Mr. Stark. Enjoy your brunch!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walked around the car and approached where Peter was standing. “You ready to go eat some good food?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m really nervous right now, Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And there it was - that subtle shift that he knew was coming. It made him both happy and sad; happy that Peter was able to turn on a dime for him, but sad that they had to do that in the first place. “Don’t be. The food is overpriced and really - it’s not <em>that</em> great, but they’ve got a killer omelette, and their cuts of steak are to die for.” He put his arm around Peter’s shoulders, and walked with him towards the entrance. “Let’s live a little, Mr. Parker.” He looked down at him and smiled. The beaming smile that was returned to him let Tony know that Peter was going to be okay. Which made him happy.  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>Peter tried not to notice what the people were wearing that were dining in the restaurant, knowing full well that what he was wearing wasn’t going to be anywhere near remotely acceptable. But because he was with Tony Stark, he knew they were going to let it fly. If he had been with Ned, or MJ, or anyone else - they would have turned them away. Being with Tony meant that the rules were now different, because of who Tony was. And <em>that</em> was something he was having a difficult time accepting. </p>
<p>“You look a little green in the gills.” Tony leaned over, as they waited for the hostess to seat them. “You okay?” </p>
<p>“I’m fine.” He nodded, trying to not look as nervous as he felt. This was worse than when he’d gone to join Tony in the shower, which he was still feeling the aftereffects from. The butterflies had yet to calm down in his stomach from that little fun that they had had. “Are they going to seat us soon, Mr. Stark?” And that was something else that he was finding difficult to say. He was so used to calling Tony by ‘Eds’, or even by his first name now, that hearing himself call him ‘Mr. Stark’ sounded foreign to him. </p>
<p>“Right this way, gentlemen.” The hostess appeared before Tony could answer, so he answered with a gesture to follow her. Peter smiled and nodded, then led the way as he felt Tony follow behind him. “We hope you enjoy your visit with us. Mr. Stark - if there’s anything you need at all, please do not hesitate to ask.” </p>
<p>“Will do.” Tony helped Peter sit down first, then took the seat next to him rather than opposite, which made him feel a little less panicky. “Talk to me, Ben.” Under the table he felt Tony’s hand touch his knee, the touch somewhat grounding him. “Take a deep breath. Are you having an attack right now?” </p>
<p>Closing his eyes, he did what Tony told him to do, and counted to five in his head. Inhale for five, exhale for five. Why he was feeling this anxious, he didn’t know. This shouldn’t be happening right now. He got plenty of sleep the night before. He was only prone to these sorts of attacks when he was overly tired, which wasn’t the case right now. <em>Take another deep breath</em>. He kept his eyes closed and inhaled again for five, then exhaled for five.</p>
<p>Peter opened his eyes and looked at Tony, who he could see was clearly worried right now. “I’m okay. I don’t know why it’s happening right now. It shouldn’t be. It’s triggered by lack of sleep, and we both know that I got plenty of sleep last night.” </p>
<p>“Is it because we’re out in public? But you were fine last night.” Tony asked, clearly still concerned. “We can go. Let’s go, okay? I don’t want you to feel like this, and if I can help remove you from a situation where you’re not happy, I am more than willing to-” </p>
<p>“Eds, I’m okay.” It was endearing to hear Tony be so quick to tell him they could leave. “How did you know what was going on?” </p>
<p>“I’m hurt, Ben.” Putting his hand on his chest, Tony feigned looked upset. “I’ve told you before that I suffer from them too. I know what they look like.” </p>
<p>“Right.” He did remember - Tony had told him that at the beginning of their friendship online. “I’m okay now, I think. Maybe I’m hungry? That might also be another culprit.” </p>
<p>As if the walls were listening, their waiter came over to their table and left an assortment of pastries in a basket for them to enjoy. Peter grabbed a banana nut muffin, and put it on his salad plate. The menu was also left for them, which Tony set next to him. “I usually get the steak and eggs for brunch. You can get whatever you want, okay?” </p>
<p>“Thank you.” Peter didn’t look at the prices because he knew there was no point. If he did, that might exacerbate the overwhelming feeling he was trying to control. Tony’s hand had returned to his knee, and slipping his hand under the table he laid his hand on top of his, pushing his fingers between Tony’s fingers to hold onto it with a soft grip. “I don’t really eat a lot of red meat, but if you say it’s good, who am I to argue?” </p>
<p>“Then I’ll order for us, so we can get out of here quicker.” </p>
<p>“Eds, you don’t have to do-” </p>
<p>“That? I know. But I want to. Because the sooner we’re done here, the sooner we can go someplace where you don’t have to address me a certain way.” The smile on Tony’s face made those butterflies flutter about, Peter’s head dropping to hide the blush now creeping onto his cheeks. </p>
<p>He heard Tony order for them, and then the waiter was gone, leaving them alone. “Talk to me. Tell me about school. How’s that friend of yours? Ted?” </p>
<p>“Ned.” Peter knew Tony was trying to keep him occupied, which was honestly helping dissipate that lingering anxiety. “He’s good. He’s with his family this weekend - huge family. I guess it’s someone’s birthday? I don’t know.” </p>
<p>“Were you invited to go?” </p>
<p>“I was.” He picked up his muffin and started to eat it without putting any butter on it. “But I don’t like to go to those large events, although his family is very friendly and nice. No, I usually spend my Saturdays patrolling, and doing homework.” </p>
<p>“Neither of which you’re doing today. Because you’re with me.” </p>
<p>Chuckling, Peter nodded his head. “Right. But it’s okay - I don’t have very much homework to do, which is nice. I really try to stay ahead because I never know what’s going to happen when I patrol.” </p>
<p>“Right. Smart. Very smart.” Tony nodded his head, and reached for a croissant from the basket. “Does Ned know about Eds?” </p>
<p>He shook his head. “No. I don’t plan on telling him either. No point, really. I’m allowed to have other friends.” </p>
<p>“You are.” </p>
<p>“Have you told anyone about Ben?” He was curious, and wondered what Tony would say. </p>
<p>Tony shook his head. “It might be funny to you, but I don’t have a lot of close friends. Rhodey, Pepper - that’s pretty much it in my immediate circle nowadays. And neither of them need to know about my new friend.” </p>
<p>“Well, I just have Ned. And MJ, I guess. In a weird way.” Peter finished one half of his muffin, and started to work on the other. “No one really knows much about me except for you. Indirectly, of course.” </p>
<p>“So wild, isn’t it?” Tony leaned back in his chair, and picked up a cup of coffee that had been brought to the table. Peter looked to his right and noticed there was a glass of cola sitting next to him, not even realizing their waiter had brought it over to them. “It still blows my mind that out of all the people on the planet, we somehow wound up together without knowing.” </p>
<p>“I know, right?” It felt good to be discussing this calmly with him, as he put his straw into his glass and took a sip. “I’m still not sure if this is all some wild lucid dream.” </p>
<p>“Trust me, you’re awake. This isn’t the Matrix. There’s no Neo, or Trinity, and I am definitely not Morpheus.” </p>
<p>The smirk on Tony’s lips had him laughing. “Good, because you know I like both blue and red, so I’d probably take both pills just to see if it could be done.” </p>
<p>“Of <em>course</em> you would.” The rolling of Tony’s eyes made him laugh more. “I love the sound of your laugh. You used to not do it very often around me.” </p>
<p>“I told you why.” Peter reminded him, as he leaned back in his own chair, feeling a lot better now that they’d been talking. The panic had slowly ebbed away, making it easier to handle the situation. “You intimidate me.” </p>
<p>“Well, I’m glad you’ve gotten over that. I think.” </p>
<p>“I have. For the most part.” </p>
<p>“That’s good.” Peter nodded his head. </p>
<p>They fell into a comfortable silence, both taking their time to settle as conversations around them continued on. Their food was brought to the table, and it looked amazing. Peter was happy he ordered the same thing as Tony, as he’d noticed other plates and nothing looked anywhere near as appetizing as this did. As they ate, Tony talked a little about work, and what the Avengers were doing now out at the compound. </p>
<p>“I know we told May that you’re there right now, but it might not hurt to go next weekend. We could go out early Saturday morning, and come back Sunday.” Tony said, as the waiter cleared their places. Tony had begun to talk about the compound using words that wouldn’t draw attention to Avengers business, which Peter was impressed by. </p>
<p>“Would I still be telling her I’m going out there on Friday?” </p>
<p>“I don’t see why not.” Peter smiled, happy to know that Tony wanted him to spend the night with him again next weekend. It was a good feeling. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, that sort of thing.” Tony waved his hand around. “We could test out the new suit I’ve started working on for you.” </p>
<p>“You’re modifying my suit?” That got him excited. “Wait, we can’t talk about this right now.” </p>
<p>“Right.” Tony zipped his lips. “Did you want anything for dessert?” </p>
<p>“Eds, we have cookies.” </p>
<p>“Then I guess we’d better get back to the tower, huh?” He watched Tony flag their waiter down, and handed him his credit card without bothering to wait for the check. Once it was all paid, Tony stood up from the table. “How about we book it?” </p>
<p>“Yes, Mr. Stark.” He spoke a little louder, in case people were returning to listening to their conversation. “Thank you for a wonderful brunch meal.” </p>
<p>“You’re quite welcome, kid.” </p>
<p>For some reason, that stung and didn’t sit right. But Peter schooled his face to one of a smile, not wanting Tony to see how he didn’t like that. <em>It’s for show. That’s not your relationship anymore</em>. He had to convince himself of that. It wasn’t like Tony could call him Ben right now. But Ben was a softer blow to his fragile ego. Being called ‘kid’ made him highly aware of the difference in their ages, which brought back the doubt that this wasn’t going to last very long because Tony would grow bored with him. Which again, Tony had told him that wasn’t going to be the case, but it still didn’t feel that way. </p>
<p>“You’re lost in thought.” Tony appeared next to him, Peter looking around not realizing they were already waiting for the car outside. </p>
<p>“I’m okay.” He lied, looking up at him with a strained smile on his face. He could tell Tony knew he wasn’t telling the truth, so he shook his head. “It’s nothing. I’ll tell you in the car, Mr. Stark.” </p>
<p>“Promise?” Peter nodded. “Okay, because my car is here.” </p>
<p>The convertible rolled to a stop, and Tony opened the passenger door for him. “Thank you.” He smiled, and got into the car, putting on his seatbelt as soon as he sat down. </p>
<p>“Okay, spill. Because your poker face is terrible. How can it be good when we play chess, but every other time you’re an open book?” Tony asked, as he adjusted the seat and mirror to be back where it should be. </p>
<p>“You’re going to think it’s stupid, so I’m sorry. But hearing you call me ‘kid’ really irked me.” Peter exhaled, feeling a little better at being honest with him. “I know it shouldn’t. I know you used to call me that all the time, but things-” </p>
<p>“Are different now.” Tony nodded. He could see his fingers were clutching the steering wheel a little tighter than necessary, wondering if he was having a minor freak out himself right now. “Yeah, that’s my bad. I should have called you Mr. Parker. Not kid. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I appreciate you being honest with me.” </p>
<p>Peter put his hands between his knees, and nodded. “You didn’t. It’s okay. It just - it surprised me how much I didn’t like hearing that. When it used to never bother me. But now that we’re doing things that, you know, <em>kids</em> shouldn’t be doing, it feels a little weird.” </p>
<p>“Nope. Got it. Perfectly understood.” They came to a stoplight. “Thank you for your honesty, Peter. I mean it.” </p>
<p>He felt mildly better hearing Tony say as such, and turned to look at him. “Thank you for helping me at the restaurant. You didn’t have to do that. I would have managed.” </p>
<p>“I’m on your side, remember that. And remember - I go through that sort of stuff too. So anything I can do to help, I’m going to do that.” The look in Tony’s eyes brought the butterflies back from sleeping, as he could feel himself growing slightly warm under his gaze. “How about we just go back to the tower right now? Maybe take a nap?” </p>
<p>“We slept seven hours.” He reminded him, but the idea of laying in Tony’s arms was making him feel slightly lethargic. </p>
<p>“And we barely slept the entire week. So it’s time to play a little catch up.” A car horn sounded behind them, both turning their heads back towards the road to see the light had turned green. “Shit.” </p>
<p>Laughing, Peter shook his head as Tony accelerated forward. “Fine, a nap sounds good. I just ate a lot of food that I normally wouldn’t eat.” </p>
<p>“See? Double win.” Tony teased. </p>
<p>It didn’t take them very long to get back to the tower, Peter following Tony into the elevator up to his penthouse. He stepped a little closer to him, happy to have Tony respond by putting his arm around his waist and pulling him against his side. “Hi, Eds.” He looked up at him, speaking softly. </p>
<p>“Hey, Ben.” Tony returned, a small smile on his face. “Have I told you yet how nice it is to have you here with me?” </p>
<p>“Not yet.” He shook his head, as the elevator opened up on the penthouse. “But you can if you want.” </p>
<p>“Real cute, Ben.” Peter laughed as he walked off the elevator. It felt good to be laughing a lot more these days. “Bedroom?” </p>
<p>Peter took off his shoes by the elevator and nodded. “Bedroom.” With confidence that he had no idea where he was getting it from, Peter began to walk towards Tony’s room, and then felt a pair of arms wrap around his stomach, pulling him backwards to be against Tony’s chest. “W-What are you doing?” He asked, as he felt Tony’s lips start to touch his neck. </p>
<p>“I’ve been dying to touch you since we left the apartment earlier.” His voice rumbled in his ear, causing his stomach to dip a little as he put his hands on top of where Tony’s arms were. “So, forgive me.” </p>
<p>“N-No need to apologize.” He sank back against him, and felt his arms curl protectively around his body, Peter instantly relaxing into his hold. “It’s really nice to be in your arms like this, Tony.” He somehow managed to get his real name out, his cheeks burning slightly as he realized he’d done that instead of using Eds. </p>
<p>It seemed that his mentor appreciated it, because he felt his lips touch just below his ear before his voice filled them. “I really like having you in my arms, Peter. And not in a ‘I’m here to rescue you’ kind of way.” </p>
<p>Turning around, he brought his arms up to wrap them around Tony’s neck, and brought his lips to his to give him a soft kiss. “Let’s go lay down, so you can keep me in your arms for a little bit?” </p>
<p>“As you wish.” </p>
<p>Another kiss to his lips brought a fresh wave of heat racing through his body, lowering his arms to continue walking into the bedroom. Standing by the side of the bed, he looked at Tony, who he could see was waiting to see what he was going to do. <em>Should I take them all off? No, I can’t</em>. He wasn’t ready to be completely naked. Not yet. Taking his jeans off, he left his boxers and shirt on, and saw Tony nod his head in approval as he did the same. He got onto the bed, and waited for Tony to lay next to him, then turned on his side so that he could spoon himself against his body. </p>
<p>“Want me to grab us a throw?” Tony asked, his chin now resting comfortably against his shoulder. “You’re not going to be too cold, are you?” </p>
<p>“No, I’m okay like this.” Peter always tended to run a little warm, thanks to his enhanced powers. When normal people felt a chill, he was comfortable. But he couldn’t wear shorts in the middle of winter, because then people would realize something was up. So he suffered through being too warm sometimes because of it. “Spider stuff.” He mumbled, getting drowsier by the second as the heat from Tony’s body started to match his own. </p>
<p>“Right. Makes sense.” He felt Tony kiss his cheek. “Sweet dreams, Ben.” </p>
<p>“Mmmm….you too, Eds.” He yawned softly, and then started to doze off, the last thought on his mind as he fell asleep was how nice it felt to be back in Tony’s arms again. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p><em>Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. Peter couldn’t get in touch with Karen</em>, <em>who was helping him as he swung through the neighborhood. “Karen?? Karen, what’s wrong?” He tried again, but she wasn’t coming back online. “Karen, I need to know is everything okay??” </em></p>
<p>
  <em> When no reply came again, he really began to panic. He swung on his webbing, and landed on top of a building. Holding his hand to his ear, he tried again. “Karen, please. Talk to me. What’s going on?” At least he hadn’t been flying dead.  </em>
</p>
<p><em> “She’s not going to answer you.” He looked up and stared in shock as he saw the person who had created the suit for him. Thrusters fired, Iron Man slowly lowering himself down onto the building, Peter’s heart racing in his chest. “She’s been turned off. Because </em> you <em>messed up.”  </em></p>
<p>
  <em> “Mr. Stark! I didn’t!” Peter began to panic, feeling like his world was slowly collapsing. “I didn’t do anything, I swear!! I’ve only been doing what I’m supposed to be doing!”  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Then what’s this?” Tony threw up a display showing him swinging through a robbery in progress, and failing to stop the assailants. “It sure looks to me like you’re not doing your job. You’re not the friendly neighborhood Spiderman. You’re some kid in a fancy costume that has no right to wear that suit.”  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Please!” He started to sob, shaking his head back and forth. “It was a mistake! Go back! You’ll see I went back! I stopped them!”  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“But you didn’t when you were supposed to.” Tony’s hand grabbed the mask off of his head, Peter staring at him with tears streaming down his face. “You are done. Goodbye, Mr. Parker.”</em>
</p>
<p>He sat up with a hard gasp, his face wet with tears as he shook violently. “Shhh. Peter, it’s okay. You’re okay.” He felt something warm around his shoulders. Turning his head, he tried to calm down, his heart still racing as he heard Tony speaking to him as if through a heavy filter. “You’re awake now. Everything is good. Breathe, sweetheart.” </p>
<p>“I….” He started to cry again, the realness of the dream making him physically ache. He felt Tony gather him into his arms, and without much effort he fell into them, clinging to him. It felt good to have something solid underneath him, rather than him grasping for straws like he would have been in his own bedroom. This was so much nicer. “I’m s-s-s-sorry…” </p>
<p>“Shh, baby….There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Tony’s lips brushed against his forehead, as Peter curled himself up against Tony’s chest. “Whatever happened, it was a dream. Well, not a dream, but you know what I mean. Whoever made you feel this way, they weren’t real.” </p>
<p>Peter sobbed softly, his breath hitching every now and then as he slowly began to calm down. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to calm himself by listening to Tony’s heart beat, but he could hear it was beating at almost the same rhythm as his own. <em>Oh no. I worried him. Shit</em>. That wasn’t something he wanted to do, but it looked like he had no choice because his subconscious decided to be a dick. </p>
<p>Once his breathing was back to normal, he looked up at Tony and rubbed his eyes with his fists. “It was you.” He spoke softly, keeping his head tucked in against his neck. The warmth that Tony’s body was continuing to provide to him helped keep him calm. “You took the suit away from me again.” </p>
<p>“Oh, Peter…” The arms around him tightened their hold. “Sweetheart, it was a nightmare. It’s never going to happen again. That suit is yours for as long as you want to wear it. If you want an upgrade, we can do that.” </p>
<p>“N-No, I like what I have now.” Peter shook his head, sniffling softly. “I just - you were so mad at me for doing something that I didn’t do. I hate that I keep dreaming about you. Does this mean our experiment failed??” He tried not to panic, but it was getting difficult not to. </p>
<p>Tony’s hand started to rub small circles on his back in between his shoulder blades. “Your subconscious is an asshole. And no, our experiments haven’t failed. Naps don’t count. Okay, maybe they do, but we won’t focus on that right now.” He looked up at Tony, and felt his hand touch his cheek. “You were already in a heightened state when we were at the restaurant. It makes sense that your mind decided it was time to play a few more tricks on you. It’s okay, Peter. Everything is good.” </p>
<p>Every time he heard him say that phrase, it helped him relax. Whether it was through text, or verbally hearing it - he <em>always</em> believed it. “R-Right. Everything is good.” He nodded his head, trying to press himself as close as possible to Tony. “And yeah, that’s a good point. My attack didn’t really do me any favors.” He sighed, feeling like a sack of potatoes as he leaned his weight against Tony. “Can we get up and go do something? Watch a movie? Walk around the block?” </p>
<p>“Let’s go walk around for a bit.” Tony lowered his face to him, his eyelids fluttering closed as he waited to feel Tony’s lips touch his with a soft kiss. “Or, do you want to go running? I will suffer for you, if you would prefer to run and burn off some of this energy.” </p>
<p>Peter shook his head. “No, a walk is fine. We don’t have to do anything strenuous. I just….I need to get out.” He looked around the room, and found something familiar he could lock on to. A picture of him and Tony when he’d agreed to do the Stark internship was hanging up on the wall, which made him smile. He didn’t have any pictures of Tony up in his room, not unless you counted the Iron Man posters he still had up on the inside of his closet. But that didn’t really count. “A walk sounds good. Maybe we can go over to Central Park?” </p>
<p>“Sure, sweetheart. How about I have Happy come and pick us up?” </p>
<p>“We can’t.” Peter shook his head. “He’ll tell May that I’m not with you. Oh, God. Last night. Is he going to tell her he took us to Broadway??” Mild panic began to flare through him again at the thought. </p>
<p>Tony’s hands touched his face, forcing him to look up at him. “Peter. No, Happy has an NDA with me that whatever I ask him to do, he has to keep it confidential. That means anytime you’re with me? You’re ‘not’ with me. Unless your Aunt knows. Does that make you feel better?” </p>
<p>“But how do you know? What if he tells her? ‘Oh, yeah - how’d Peter like Spongebob?” And then she’ll be like ‘What do you mean?’ And then Happy will go ‘Well, Tony took him to Broadway last night and-” </p>
<p>Tony’s hand moved from his cheek to his mouth, his palm silencing any more words coming out of him. “He won’t. You’re going to have to trust me. Happy has been with me for years. He’s been dating your Aunt for what? A few months? They’re not even at that stage yet.” Tony’s smirk made him roll his eyes, but he was feeling a bit more calm. “Now, like I said - why don’t I call him and then he can circle the block for an hour while we walk around.” </p>
<p>“If you think it’s safe, and he won’t tell Aunt May, then okay.” Peter nodded his head. </p>
<p>“Do you want me to put a clause into his contract forbidding him from saying anything to May about us? About me? Because I will.” </p>
<p>It made him happy that Tony would suggest that, but he knew that was ridiculous. “No, it’s okay. I just have to accept that I have to trust him not to say anything to her.” </p>
<p>“He’s dealt with me for <em>years</em>, Peter. There are many, many things he’s seen that he has never said a word about it to any of his lovers.” Tony stepped backwards from him. “He’s not going to start now because your Aunt is hot.” </p>
<p>“Gross, Eds.” He snorted, then shook his head as he chuckled softly. “Okay, fine. Call Happy.” Sliding to the edge of the bed, he felt Tony’s chest press against his back before he stood up, and leaned back against him. “You know, you’re making it difficult for me to stand up by doing that, Eds.” </p>
<p>“Really, Ben?” The sarcasm dripped off Tony’s tongue, Peter smirking as he pushed his back against his chest. “I had <em>no</em> idea. Now why would I want to keep you on this bed with me? Hmmm. Tough question.” </p>
<p>He laughed, grabbing onto Tony’s arms and carefully pulling them away from his body. “We’ll have plenty of time to lay down on the bed later.” His ass gave a little twitch as he remembered the shower, and wondered what it would feel like with more than just the tip pushing up into his  body. </p>
<p>“I can feel you getting warmer, Peter.” Tony whispered into his ear, Peter’s eyelids closing as he took a deep breath. “What are you thinking about?” </p>
<p>“T-The shower.” He admitted, knowing it wouldn’t do him any good to say otherwise. “H-How your cock felt, teasing me.” As the words came out, he began to grow aroused, and couldn’t hide it from the man behind him. </p>
<p>Soft kisses touched the side of his neck, Peter’s head falling forward as Tony’s arms returned to be around him. He felt himself being pulled back to sit on his lap, Tony now sitting cross-legged on the side of the bed with Peter resting on top of him. He kept his knees bent as he tried not to become too nervous, as he could feel Tony’s hardness pushing up against him. “Funny.” The word was murmured into his ear. “I was thinking about that too.” “Y-Yeah?” Tilting his head, he felt Tony’s beard scratch against the base of his neck, drawing a soft moan out of his throat. “I t-thought we were going to call Happy.” </p>
<p>“Already did. Friday - what’s Happy’s ETA?” </p>
<p>“Twenty minutes, boss.” </p>
<p>Peter knew that he could do whatever he wanted. Tony was constantly telling him he was the one with the power right now. But it didn’t feel like that. What he really wanted was to feel Tony’s cock tease him, but was this the right time? There was no way he’d be able to school his features if Happy decided to show up early. But that was something he was willing to risk as he started to casually roll his hips back and forth, teasing himself with the stiffness he could feel inside of Tony’s boxer briefs. </p>
<p>“You want a little help, sweetheart…?” Tony’s beard scraped against his neck a little more, drawing another moan out of his throat.  </p>
<p>“M-Maybe…” He felt something warm push up against his own cock. “I don’t know….” It was difficult for him to focus on anything except for what he was rubbing himself against. </p>
<p>“Here…” Tony moved them so that they were laying on their sides, Peter’s ass now pushing perfectly up against his crotch. “That better…?” </p>
<p>“Y-Yeah…” Peter nodded, his breathing becoming more difficult to keep normal as he felt Tony’s hand start to inch down his underwear. “J-Just the tip…?” </p>
<p>“As you wish…” </p>
<p>It started off with just a little touch of Tony’s cock. He felt it slip between his cheeks, his hips rolling back suggestively as he felt Tony’s hand tighten its grip on his hip. He wasn’t afraid, though. That power he could feel in just a simple touch was pushing heat through his entire body. He gave another little roll, and felt his nails bite his skin, causing him to hiss softly, but also moan. </p>
<p>“Stay still…” Tony whispered into his ear, as Peter felt the tip start to nudge against his anus. “We’re only teasing right now, sweetheart. I don’t have the proper items in here, so we really can’t go any further than this. I won’t hurt you. I told you.” </p>
<p>He released a pitched moan, staying absolutely still as he let Tony take control. “I-It feels so nice, though.” He’d touched himself back there a few times, after discovering how he was attracted to both sexes. He’d figured he owed it to himself to know what it felt like to play with himself. Discovering with Tony what he liked was even better, and this game of ‘just the tip’ was something he was really beginning to enjoy. “God, I want to have sex.” </p>
<p>“We will.” Teeth tugged on his ear. “Soon, Peter. There’s no-” </p>
<p>“Rush….” Peter put his hand over Tony’s, and brought it to his own cock. He heard him moan low as his cock went back to being between his cheeks lengthwise. “I know. I trust you, Tony.” He whimpered softly as the pad of his mentor’s thumb began to rub the tip of his cock. “Nnngh…. “ </p>
<p>“Friday - how much time is left before Happy shows up?”</p>
<p>“Nine minutes, boss.” </p>
<p>The tip nudged back against his puckering anus, Peter gasping as he felt it go into him a little bit. “O-Oh…” He tried to relax, but knew that if he did more might accidentally slip in, and he wasn’t about to go on a walk and be in pain at the same time. But as soon as it was there, it was gone. Tony’s hand started to really work on his cock, making it difficult for him to decide what he wanted his hips to do. Move forward to have that wonderful friction of his hand, or to move them backwards to feel more of Tony’s cock. <em>God, I love this</em>. </p>
<p>“I love it too.” Tony moaned low near his ear, as the fist around his cock grew a little tighter. “It feels nice being together like this, doesn’t it, Peter?” </p>
<p>He hadn’t realized he’d said that out loud, but hearing Tony say the same thing really made him happy. But he couldn’t really verbalize it, as he was so close to an orgasm already. <em>Damn hormones</em>. He knew he was really going to have to learn how to control himself, but the way Tony’s hand moved perfectly up and down on his cock, and how he gave it firm squeezes when he was least expecting it - it really made Peter hot and bothered. Add in the game of feeling the tip of his cock pushing up against him in a way that was as intimate as it gets? It was a recipe for disaster. </p>
<p>“Five minutes, boss.” Friday commented, Peter whining softly at the reminder that they really needed to be quick about this. </p>
<p>Tony’s soft laugh made him groan low. “He’ll wait downstairs for us. I can feel you’re close though, aren’t you?” </p>
<p>“Y-Yes, Tony….” He nodded his head, his hips now moving back and forth to tease himself with the tip of Tony’s cock, and his unbearably tight fist. “God, I’m going to….” </p>
<p>“Come…” </p>
<p>He tossed his head back with a loud moan, as Tony’s hand moved up and down on his cock, his cum splashing his lower stomach, the shirt he’d been wearing now hitched up towards his chest. He felt something warm spread over his lower back, the sound of a low moan leaving Tony’s throat letting him know that he had reached the same peak as him. And it felt really, really good. </p>
<p>“Two minutes, boss.” </p>
<p>Peter started to laugh, completely loose from the orgasm he’d just had. “Geez, she’s pushy.” He looked over at Tony, who was getting a few tissues from the side of the bed to wipe up their mess. </p>
<p>“It’s okay. I think she figured out after I asked for his ETA that she would keep the countdown going.” Tony’s face came close to his, and Peter leaned up to give him a long, lingering kiss to his lips. “Was that what you wanted, sweetheart?” </p>
<p>“It was.” He nodded, smiling softly up at him. “It felt perfect.” </p>
<p>“I’m glad it did.” Another kiss touched his lips. “Come on, let’s get dressed before Happy has a fit that we’re late.” </p>
<p>“Right.” </p>
<p>He put his pants back on, and grabbed his socks off the floor. “Are people going to bother you if we go to Central Park?” </p>
<p>“Eh, if they do, it’s fine. I doubt it, though. Although, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually <em>gone</em> to Central Park just to walk around.” Tony grabbed his jacket. “Do you have a sweatshirt?” </p>
<p>“Yeah. Let me go grab it.” He went to the guest room and got his sweatshirt from school, and threw it on over his shirt. “I can’t remember the last time I went and walked around Central Park. Maybe grade school?” </p>
<p>“Now you’re making me feel old, Ben.” Tony groaned, as they walked to the elevator together. “What do you want to do for dinner tonight?” </p>
<p>“Do you have food here?” Peter looked up at him, staying close to his side. </p>
<p>“I do not.” </p>
<p>“Can we pick something up on our way back, then?” </p>
<p>“We can definitely do that. Or, if you know what you want - we can have Happy get the food for us.” </p>
<p>“Ooooh, I like that idea.” </p>
<p>“I thought you might.” </p>
<p>When the elevator door opened in the lobby, Peter stepped away from Tony, but stayed close to him as they left the building together. He saw Happy standing at the back passenger door, and was tapping his wrist while he looked at Tony. “You said be here five minutes ago. What gives?” </p>
<p>“Sorry, Happy. It’s my fault.” Peter told the truth, as he gave a little wave to him. “I was busy doing stuff, and forgot what time it was. Don’t be mad at Mr. Stark.” </p>
<p>“He’s not. Don’t worry.” Tony patted his shoulder, as Peter climbed into the backseat of the car. “And please. Five minutes is nothing. You know I could go right back upstairs and have you wait for an hour. Easily.” </p>
<p>“Not funny, sir.”</p>
<p>Tony slid in next to him, Peter happy to feel his leg up against his own. “Did you decide what you want to eat?” </p>
<p>“How about burgers?” </p>
<p>“Sounds perfect.” Happy got in the car, and then Tony tapped him on the shoulder. “Take us to Central Park, and afterwards go to Sin City Burgers and pick us up some food.” </p>
<p>“Do you want the whole menu? Could you be more specific?” </p>
<p>Peter covered his face to hide his smile, as he could tell Happy was upset, but was playing it off nicely. Tony rolled his eyes and leaned back against the backseat. “Just get us to Central Park. I’ll tell you what to pick up when you drop us off.” </p>
<p>“Fine.” </p>
<p>The partition between the front and the back closed, leaving them alone. Peter turned towards Tony, no longer hiding his smile. “He’s not happy right now.” </p>
<p>“You noticed too, huh. Terrible first name.” Tony pulled his phone out of his pocket, and Peter watched as he opened up their app first. He quickly looked away when he saw Tony look at him, his cheeks growing warm as he realized what Tony had just done. “Force of habit.” He remarked, then closed the app. “I guess I could send a message to my other boyfriend-” </p>
<p>“Please tell me you’re joking.” Peter tried not to panic, hoping that Tony was kidding. </p>
<p>“Of course I’m kidding, Ben.” He heard Tony snort. “But really - check your phone.” </p>
<p>His phone vibrated just as Tony said that. Reaching into his pocket, he saw on his lock screen a message from Eds. “<em>You are the reason I’m smiling so much right now</em>.” He closed his eyes and leaned over to press a kiss to Tony’s cheek. “Me too, Eds.” He whispered, before he sat back down. </p>
<p>“Good. I’m glad. Now, do you want to take a look at this menu, so Herr Anger up there will be his actual namesake?” The phone was given to him. </p>
<p>Looking at the options, Peter saw there were only a few, which meant this place had to be good. “I’ll take the Sin burger.” </p>
<p>“Yeah you will.” </p>
<p>“Eds, really?” He laughed, shaking his head. “And some sweet potato fries.” </p>
<p>“Got it.” </p>
<p>The car stopped near Central Park, Happy lowering the partition to talk to them. “I can’t get you any closer. This will have to do.” </p>
<p>“It’s perfect, Happy. Don’t worry. Now go to Sin Burger, and get us one Sin and one Chicken N’Waffle. Two orders or regular fries and two orders of sweet potato fries. Pick us up at this exact location in an hour.” Tony grabbed the door and opened it. </p>
<p>“This exact location? Do you know how difficult that’s going to be? You’re out of your-” </p>
<p>“It’s okay, Happy. We’ll find you. This area is good.” Peter quickly tried to appease him as he got out of the backseat, and saw Tony with a large smile on his face. “You do that on purpose, don’t you?” </p>
<p>Tony shrugged his shoulders. “I never reveal my secrets.” </p>
<p>“I know one of them.” Peter said, as they started to walk across the street to enter Central Park. </p>
<p>“Oh? What secret do you know?” They walked close together, Peter pushing his hands into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, afraid that if he didn’t he might accidentally try and hold Tony’s hand. Which he didn’t want people to notice them, and if he did that, they surely would. </p>
<p>He looked up at him, as they came to a stop. “You’re always tired.” </p>
<p>“Right. I did say that, didn’t I?” Tony threw his arm over his shoulder, and they started to walk again. “You good with this, Ben?” </p>
<p>“Trying to be.” He didn’t want to look awkward, but had a feeling that that was the case. “Want to go see if the carousel is up and running right now?” </p>
<p>The look on Tony’s face made him laugh, as Tony shook his head. “Going around and around in a circle for a bit? I could go get my Iron Man suit and make that a reality for you. How about we do that?” </p>
<p>“That’s not the same thing and you know it.” Peter laughed some more, Tony’s arm falling away from his shoulder naturally. “Is Happy going to spit in our food?” </p>
<p>“If he does, I’ll fire him.” </p>
<p>“No, you won’t.” </p>
<p>“You’re right. Caught my bluff.” </p>
<p>They stopped on the bridge looking over the lake, Peter standing close to Tony as he saw the sun was starting to set. “Thanks for helping me out today, Tony.” He spoke quietly, hoping that he could hear him. “I really don’t like that I had a nightmare.” </p>
<p>“I know you don’t.” They kept their distance from one another, but Peter could feel the heat radiating off of Tony’s body, letting him know that he was just as anxious to touch him as he was. “But it’s like I said, you were already in an altered state. It won’t happen again tonight.” </p>
<p>Looking up at him, he waited for Tony to meet his eyes before speaking. “But what if it does? Then we’re back to where we are during the week.” </p>
<p>“That will <em>never</em> be the case. And if it happens? I’ll be right there with you, helping you through it. Hell, <em>I</em> might have one myself. What then?” </p>
<p>Peter stared up at him, feeling his heart hammering hard in his chest. “Then I’ll be the way to take care of you, Tony. Because that’s what lovers do, right?” He didn’t say the word too loud, but he knew Tony heard him. </p>
<p>“Exactly.” The smile on Tony’s face returned the butterflies to his stomach, who began to flutter up a storm. “Now, how about we head back to where Herr Anger dropped us off, as I think it’s already been an hour.” </p>
<p>“Okay, Eds.” </p>
<p>They headed back towards the car, Peter staying close to Tony as they maneuvered through the evening crowd. Happy was parked in the exact spot that he’d dropped them off, a proud smile on his face. “See? I did it. Same spot.” </p>
<p>“Good job, Happy!” Peter smiled, and got into the back of the car. It smelled of burgers and fries, and he saw two sodas resting on the center console. He picked them up and put them on his lap as he waited for Tony to get in the back with him. “I didn’t know you drank soda.” He said, as he handed one to Tony. </p>
<p>“Sometimes. Not often. I prefer coffee as my caffeinated beverage of choice, but this sugary substance will do.” Tony held up his cup. “Happy? Take us back to the tower, please.” </p>
<p>“You got it, boss.” </p>
<p>Peter looked out the window, staring up at the buildings that he’d normally be swinging between right about now. But it was nice to take the day off, especially when it was with Tony. He began to think about what might happen when they got back to his place, trying not to sike himself out too much in regards to whatever sexual act they might try tonight. <em>Is it time?</em> He couldn’t tell. But then again, Tony did keep saying that they were going to take things slow. Grabbing a straw, he shoved it into his drink and took a long sip. </p>
<p>A solution would present itself later, and he would just accept it. He hoped. </p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>Tony could tell that Peter was nervous. The air in the backseat felt suffocating, and he wasn’t sure why. He thought that they had had a nice walk around Central Park, which had been something he’d been wanting to do with Peter. And the walk had been nice, but now that they were heading back to the tower, he felt the tension beginning to rise. He had a feeling he knew why, but wasn’t going to bring it up because he didn’t want Peter to spiral. So instead, he sat next to him and casually held his hand while he kept his soda in his other. He felt Peter’s fingers tighten around his, letting him know that he’d chosen wisely. </p><p>“You gonna need me tomorrow?” Happy asked, as he pulled into the garage and took them to where Tony’s private elevator was. </p><p>He looked down at Peter, and saw him shake his head. “No, I think we’ll be good. Go and have fun with May. My treat. But remember - you didn’t see us.” </p><p>“You’re at the compound. I know.” His faithful friend rolled his eyes. “Pete - be good. Have fun doing whatever it is you're doing with this guy.” </p><p>“I’ll try, Happy!” Peter grabbed the bags of food, and got out of the car first. </p><p>“He’s a good kid.” Happy said, as Tony began to scoot towards the door. “He makes you look younger.” </p><p>“Thanks, I think.” Tony patted Happy’s shoulder, then got out of the car. “See you on Monday, Happy.” He gave a little wave, and saw Peter was waiting in the elevator for him. He walked forward, and then hit the button for his floor. “Want to tell me what’s up right now, Ben?” </p><p>“W-W-W-What do you mean?” <em>Bingo</em>. Peter only stuttered that bad when he was nervous about something. “N-N-Nothing is up, Eds. We’ve got some really good burgers, and we’re going to eat.” </p><p>“The entire car ride back felt off.” Tony said, as the elevator opened in his penthouse. He followed Peter out, and took his shoes off. “You were unusually quiet. But I didn’t want to bug you about it, but now that we’re back here I feel like I should address it. Are you upset at me?” </p><p>“No!” Peter shook his head, as he put the bag of food down on the table. “No, Eds, I swear I’m not upset at you. I don’t know what’s going on right now. No, that’s not true. I know what’s going on.” </p><p>Tony went and stood next to him. “You’ve got to talk to me. Tell me what’s going on, so I don’t worry myself sick.” Tony held his hand up, but left it hovering. “If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I can’t do anything about it.” </p><p>“That’s the thing. I don’t know what I want. And that’s why I’m freaking out.” </p><p>“Because of the burgers?” </p><p>“Because I want to have sex with you, but I’m not sure I’m ready for that!” </p><p>Tony expected as much to come out of Peter’s mouth, so hearing it made him relieved. “Is that all? Okay, we can work with that.” He smiled, and saw Peter looked exasperated. “What? Is that not good? Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m not being a tyrant about this?” </p><p>“No, I’m happy that you’re not. But I’m not stupid.” Peter pulled a chair out, and sat down as he began to take the food out of the bags. “And why did you order so many fries? There’s only two of us.” </p><p>Keeping his calm, Tony walked over to where he normally sat when they played chess or ate at the table. He pulled his chair out, then looked at Peter who was still sorting their food. “I got extra fries because I’m <em>hungry</em>. You aren’t being forced to eat all of them by yourself.” Tony saw Peter sliding his food over to him, which he grabbed. “I also wanted sweet potato fries, so I thought maybe you’d want them to.” </p><p>“I do.” </p><p>“Good. Then I ordered right.” Tony could tell that Peter was still panicking, and was trying to figure out the best way to help him calm down. “Okay, let’s go back to what we were talking about.” He picked up a normal fry and popped it into his mouth. He’d had food at this place when it had opened and hadn’t been thoroughly impressed, but it seemed they’d gotten better with their food because that was one tasty fry. “Why do you say you’re not stupid, Ben? Help me understand that logic, please.” </p><p>Peter looked over at him, holding two fries in his hand. “I know I’m young. I know I’m a virgin. I know you’re an adult.” </p><p>“Stellar observations there.” </p><p>“Eds, not right now.” </p><p>He raised his eyebrows up, but then gave Peter a nod of his head. It wasn’t often that he would allow someone to talk to him that way, but Peter - there has always been something different about Peter, and him telling him to basically shut up? That was something he was going to listen to. </p><p>Not wanting to push Peter’s buttons any further, he waited for him to start speaking again. “I know adults have sex fast. That’s why I keep saying I’m not stupid. I know that if you were dating anyone other than me, you would probably already be in a sexual relationship with them.”</p><p>“Then, is me not sucking your cock sexual in nature?” Tony retorted, wanting Peter to understand that there were many layers of being intimate with someone. “Do you think that I just <em>sleep</em> with people because that’s something I do?” </p><p>“Sleep as in fuck, or sleep as in actual sleep?” </p><p>“Well, since we’ve only done one of those things together, let’s go with actual sleep.” </p><p>A groan left Peter’s mouth. “Fine. You don’t just sleep with anyone. I’m special. And what does having you suck my cock have anything to do with this?” </p><p>“That’s an intimate act, Peter.” He saw him snap his head to look at him, Tony not at all backing down from using his real name. “The very act of having your genitals in my mouth, and vice versa, is a sexual act. We’re having sex.” </p><p>“Penetration sex, Tony.” </p><p>“You are penetrating my mouth with your cock. How is that not sex?” </p><p>“It’s oral sex.” </p><p>“You just said sex.” </p><p>“Tony.”</p><p>He set his burger down and shook his head. “No, if I’m going to help you get over this irrational fear of having actual sex with me, then we really need to talk about this. You will feel better about it.” </p><p>“I feel like I want to be sick right now.” </p><p>It was true - he could see how pale Peter was. “Look, we don’t have to talk about this right now. We can keep going on with our lives, knowing that yes - at some point, we’re going to have sex with one another. I don’t know why you keep bringing it up.” </p><p>“So you won’t!” </p><p>“But I’m not!” He couldn’t keep the exasperation out of his voice. “Ben - <em>you’re</em> the one that keeps reminding me that you’re not ready for sex. I’m not provoking that in you. <em>You’re</em> the one that’s having issues with this, not me. Look at my face.” He waited for Peter to actually look at him again. “Am I turning blue? Should you start calling me a smurf?” </p><p>Peter rolled his eyes, but he saw him trying not to smile. “I get it. I’m the one with the control. I’m the one that gets to decide when we have sex.” </p><p>“Correct.” Tony tapped the tip of his finger to the tip of his nose. “You need to remember that, otherwise you’re going to be an unnecessary ball of stress. And I don’t know about you, but I would like to have a good time tonight, and tomorrow. This right now? This is perfect.” Tony gestured to their food, and then looked over to the chess board. “And after we eat, we’ll play some games, and then maybe we’ll go to bed early.” </p><p>“I don’t know what that word means.” </p><p>He snorted, and reached over to ruffle Peter’s hair. “Sure you do. And if you’re afraid you’re going to have another nightmare - don’t. You know we can’t control that. We can only hope for the best.” </p><p>“It was so frustrating, though.” Peter moved his chair to be a little closer to his, allowing Tony to put his hand down on his thigh. “I didn’t like waking up like that.” </p><p>“I know you didn’t.” Tony put his arm around Peter’s waist, and gave a kiss to the top of his head. “But hey - you survived, didn’t you? You got through it. And if it happens again, you’ll get through it. <em>We’ll</em> get through it together.” </p><p>“Are you always like this with your lovers?” He glanced down, and saw Peter was looking up at him with expectant eyes. “Or am I special?” </p><p>“Do you want the truth?” </p><p>“Always.” </p><p>Tony nodded. “You’re unbelievably special. The lengths I’m going to to make sure you’re okay with everything should be a testament of how special you are to me. I wouldn’t do this for anyone else but you.” </p><p>“That’s bullshit, Eds.” </p><p>“I’m serious.” He shook his head. “It’s like you think I just drop ‘I love you’ to anyone I bed. I <em>don’t</em>. Which makes you special.” </p><p>“Really?” </p><p>“Really.” </p><p>“Okay, that makes me feel a little better.” </p><p>Tony lowered his head, and brushed a kiss to his cheek. “Good. Now, can we please eat? My poor waffles are no longer hot.” </p><p>“Shit, I’m sorry, Eds.” </p><p>“It’s okay.” He picked up his sandwich, the paper still mildly warm, but nowhere near what it was a little bit ago. “Don’t ever be afraid to engage in these conversations with me, Peter.” He spoke a little quieter, hoping that Peter would understand. “They’re important to have. There’s no rush to having conventional sex. I’m happy right now, aren’t you?” </p><p>Peter nodded his head, as he reached for another fry. “I am happy, Tony. I’m really happy. I don’t know why I’m freaking out about it as much as I am. I know it’s silly, but I can’t help it.” </p><p>“Having sex for the first time can be super scary.” </p><p>“What was your first time like, Eds?” </p><p>He was impressed by Peter being so bold to ask him such a question. Taking a bite of his chicken sandwich, he chewed for a bit and then swallowed. “Well, I can tell you it won’t be anything like your first time. At least you’re in a quasi-relationship with the person you want to have sex with.” </p><p>“You weren’t in a relationship??” </p><p>Tony shook his head, smirking. “The 80s were a wild time. No, I wasn’t in a relationship. It just sort of happened? Was in college though.” </p><p>“You went to college when you were fifteen.” Peter held a fry in his hand, and without thinking, Tony leaned forward and grabbed it with his mouth. “Hey! I was going to eat that!” </p><p>He didn’t bother to chew the fry, keeping it balanced between his lips. Bringing his face up to Peter’s, he carefully pushed the fry against his lips, and grinned as he saw Peter take it from him. “There. You can have it back.” He sat back down, having stood up to be a little closer to make that happen without making a mess, and picked up his chicken sandwich. “So? If it makes you feel better, I actually lost my card when I was eighteen. I didn’t really want to mess up my school, and I knew that if I had a taste of sex, it would all be downhill afterwards.” </p><p>“Was it?” </p><p>“Why do you think I have the title of playboy?” Tony picked up his soda, and took a sip. “God, why did I tell Happy to order this? How can you drink this shit? It’s awful.” Tony pushed his cup over to Peter and walked into the kitchen to make himself some coffee. “So, I waited until I was done with my BS, and then really cut loose while I was getting my masters.” Tony leaned against the kitchen counter. “I don’t even remember her name.” </p><p>“When did you figure out you were bi?” </p><p>“Look at all of these questions, Ben.” He finished the rest of his sandwich, and tossed the wrapper into the trash. “My turn first. When did <em>you</em> figure out you liked all sexes?” </p><p>“Earlier this year.” Peter ate more of his burger, then picked up his soda. “There was this really hot guy that transferred to Midtown, and I kept getting flustered around him. That was a weird awakening for me.” </p><p>“Sounds like a good one, though.” Tony was happy to be learning these things about Peter. These little minute details he’d always been too afraid to ask, because he was worried that Peter might not want to tell him. Which was in his right, of course. But being able to have this dialogue now - after everything they’ve been through, it felt <em>good</em>. “Did you two date?”</p><p>“N-N-No. You’re the first guy I’m dating. Or whatever this is.” He watched Peter pick up a few more fries and munch on them. “Like I told you before - the closest I got to sex was having my girlfriend lick the tip of my dick, and then proceeded to freak out.” </p><p>Tony laughed, and poured some coffee into his mug before returning back to the table. The fries were almost all gone, which he was happy about. “Sounds like that must have been awful for the both of you.” </p><p>“We were both very embarrassed, and didn’t really speak to one another for a couple of weeks.” Peter finished the last of the fries, then grabbed the box of cookies. “Want one?” </p><p>“Sure.” He could eat a cookie or two. They still had a lot to go through. “The first guy I was with was a real charmer. Taught me a lot about myself, and showed me the proper ways of having decent gay sex. That happened in my late twenties.” Tony looked back on that blip with fondness. “He was a good guy, but definitely couldn’t handle who I was back then. Hell, even <em>I</em> could barely handle myself.” </p><p>A cookie was handed to him, and he saw Peter start to pick pieces off of his own. “What made you change? Your capture?” </p><p>“Am I that much of an open book?” Tony nodded his head, as he bit into his own - a mint chocolate chip cookie. He wasn’t prepared for the shock of mint to flood his taste buds, but then got used to it as he chewed. “A lot of things changed when that happened.” </p><p>“Like your sleeping patterns.” </p><p>“Why do you have such bad insomnia?” He’d always wondered what sort of trauma Peter must have gone through to not be sleeping so well. “You said you were twelve?” </p><p>“Yeah. I don’t know - the nightmares just started, and then they never stopped.” Peter tore another piece of his cookie, and threw it up into the air, then caught it with his mouth. “They got worse after the spider bite. And they’ve pretty much been the same since then.” </p><p>“That royally blows.” Tony sincerely hoped that they would find a way to quell each other’s minds because he didn’t want Peter to have to deal with this for the rest of his life. That wasn’t fair, and if he could do something to help, he would. “Fancy a game now, Ben?” </p><p>“I’d love that, Eds. But can we not make it strip this time?” </p><p>Reaching for the board, he saw Peter grab the bags from dinner off the table. “I mean, I could, but then that means we’re going to have to find another creative way to get those clothes of yours off of your body.” </p><p>“Real funny, Eds.” He chuckled to himself as he heard Peter throwing away the items in the kitchen. “Can we listen to some music?” </p><p>“That depends. What do you want to listen to?” </p><p>“Some jazz?” </p><p>“Define your definition of jazz. If you say Kenny G, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to ask you to leave. And I’ll be taking the Spiderman suit back.” </p><p>Peter stared at him with a blank look on his face, but then the both of them began to laugh. “God, no. I meant like Charlie Parker. Or, is that too old for you, Mr. Stark?” </p><p>“Watch it.” He held up his finger, wagging it at Peter as he saw the smile on his face. “Friday? Play some Charlie Parker. Random playlist, if you please.” </p><p>“You got it, boss.” </p><p>The sounds of ‘Mohawk’ came through the speakers in his living room, Tony looking over at Peter to watch his reaction. He saw him smile and start to bob his head to the tempo of the tune, Tony smiling as he looked back down at the chessboard to put the last pieces down. He saw that he was now tapping his foot on the floor, happy to see Peter now a lot more relaxed than he had been when they first returned to his penthouse. </p><p>“Who’s going first?” Peter asked, after Tony got the board all set up. </p><p>“Who won last time?” </p><p>“No one.” He smirked as he saw Peter’s cheeks turn pink. “We sort of forgot about the game.” </p><p>“Fine. You’re right. You can go first, if you want.” </p><p>“No, I went first last night.” </p><p>“Did you?” Tony honestly couldn’t remember. All he could remember was getting to have Peter strip for him, and how much fun that had been. Thinking about it now, he was growing a little warm. Blood was rushing towards a part of his body that it really shouldn’t be heading to right now. <em>Like a teenager</em>. “Fine. I’ll go first. On one condition.” </p><p>“Oh no. What.” </p><p>“What do you mean, oh no?” A laugh left his throat, as he put his elbow on the table. “Come on, Ben. Why do I get the feeling you’re just humoring me right now? How do you think that makes me feel, huh?” </p><p>“I don’t know, Eds. But you always have these terrible ideas. You know, like strip chess.” </p><p>The teasing was helping push more blood to certain parts of his body. “You’re lucky you’re cute and I love you. Because I would <em>never</em> put up with that kind of talk from any of my other lovers.” </p><p>“I love you too.” Peter was quick to reply, which made his stomach drop to the floor at the admission. “But that isn’t the point, is it? So what’s your condition, Tony?” </p><p>And hearing his name? Double death for his full stomach, as it dropped again like he was freefalling through the sky in his suit. “Instead of strip chess, you have to tell me one desire you have. It can be sexual, it can be friendly. But it has to do with me.” </p><p>“T-T-Tony!!” </p><p>“It’s either that, or strip chess.” Tony knew he was pushing the limits, but he hoped that by talking about things, it might make it easier for Peter. Or, this could be a very bad idea, and they would both be sweating bullets by the end of the game. Really, it could go either way. “So, which do you prefer?” </p><p>Peter groaned, and then pointed at the board. “Fine. I’ll tell you. But don’t get mad at me if they’re all friendly.” </p><p>“I won’t, Ben.” He had a feeling that that would be the case, but was secretly hoping that Peter would warm up to the idea of telling him sexual things. “Alright, I go first?” </p><p>“Yes. I guess.” </p><p>Tony grinned, and moved his first pawn on the board. They were both being careful with their moves, so much so that it took four turns before one of them got a piece of the board. Peter moved his piece to where Tony’s piece had just been, and then picked it up. Tony picked up his coffee, and took a sip before he looked Peter dead in the eye. “I can’t wait to make you come again.” </p><p>“Oh, God.” Peter shook his head back and forth, as the piece fell onto the glass table with a loud clatter. “T-This was such a bad idea.” </p><p>“No, it wasn’t, and you know it. Now, come on.” Tony saw he had a move where he could take one of Peter’s pawns, so he did. “Your turn, you big scaredy cat.” </p><p>He held up the piece, looking over at Peter, whose face was the deepest red. It was almost the color of his Spiderman suit. “I can’t wait to cuddle with you.” </p><p>“That makes two of us.” He had never really been much of a cuddler before - preferred to not be touched really in bed, but after last weekend, Peter had changed that for him. It had actually surprised him, how much he enjoyed having Peter in his arms for the entire night. He was really glad it had happened again last night, and this afternoon, and was looking forward to it happening again tonight. “Okay, your turn.” </p><p>It took a few more moves before either one got into another position where a piece could be removed from the board. That’s when he saw a smirk on Peter’s lips, and knew he was done for. One more piece of his was taken off the board, with his young lover giving him a look that one could only describe as triumphant. “I’m waiting, Eds.” Peter said, as he set the piece down on the table. </p><p>“I can’t wait to hear you moan my name again.” It was true - hearing Peter call him by his real name had a profound effect on him. He never really cared for when lovers yelled his name during the throes of passion, but with Peter? It was instantly more arousing than anything he’d ever known. </p><p>Peter glanced down at the board, but not before Tony could see the color returning to his cheeks. “It’s not annoying, is it?” </p><p>“Are you kidding?” Tony reached over, and put his hand on top of Peter’s. “Sweetheart - it’s the most amazing thing. I <em>love</em> hearing you say my name all breathless and needy.” </p><p>Peter flipped his hand, so that their fingers could grasp on to each other. “I like saying it. I like the way you make me feel when you make me want to scream your name. It feels really good.” </p><p>“Good, because that’s what it’s supposed to be like.” He gave his hand a squeeze, and waited until Peter looked up at him. “It’s my turn now.”  </p><p>They stopped holding hands as Peter looked back down at the board. Tony knew Peter could see the move he was about to make, and was curious to see how he would respond. Picking up his piece, he took another one of Peter’s off the board. “I can’t wait to know what it feels like when all of your…..” </p><p>“Say it.” Tony spoke in a hoarse whisper, feeling like the sun was blazing down on him, when it was in fact still very much night outside. “Say it, Peter….” </p><p>“When all of your cock is inside of me.” </p><p>He groaned low, not hiding the look of desire he had in his eyes for him. “I can’t wait to know what that feels like too. When it happens, I promise - I’m going to take such good care of you.” He never wanted Peter to feel anything by good in bed. </p><p>“I know, Tony.” The color on Peter’s cheeks was now a healthy pink, Tony knowing that this was a different kind of flush now on his face. “I’m not scared.” </p><p>“Let’s return to the game.” It was difficult for him to control himself, when he wanted to pick up Peter from the chair he was sitting on, and whisk him away to his bedroom. But he knew if he did that, it might cause unnecessary duress on him, and that was the one thing he wanted to avoid. “It’s your turn.” </p><p>“R-R-Right.” </p><p>Looking down at the board, he knew he was about to lose another piece. They weren’t quite to checkmate yet, but it was getting close. His palms were beginning to sweat, as he knew what he was going to say next might make or break what was going to happen next. He watched as Peter took another piece of his off the board, and held it up for him to see. The tension was thick in the room - he knew Peter could tell too, as they were both taking deep breaths, as if they both knew where this was about to go. </p><p>“I can’t wait to take you to bed.” Tony murmured low, his cock jumping in his pants as he finally said out loud what he really wanted to do. He knew what the board looked like without having to really look at it, and knew that he had a move to take another one of Peter’s off the board. Reaching over, he did just that, and held the piece up in front of Peter. </p><p>Peter stared right back at him, Tony beginning to feel lightheaded as he waited to hear Peter’s answer. “I can’t wait either.” </p><p>That was all he needed to hear. Jumping up, he picked up Peter in his arms, carrying him bridal style to his bedroom, as he kissed him with a fiery passion that had their teeth bumping against each other. But neither seemed to mind, as he carried him carefully over to the bed. Setting him down, he looked down at him with a soft smile on his face. “Talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking right now, sweetheart.” Tony sat down next to him on the bed, his hand touching the hem of Peter’s shirt. </p><p>“E-Everything is good.” Peter released a breathless chuckle as Tony snuck his hand up his shirt. “Y-Your fingers are so cold.” </p><p>“I told you.” Tony lowered his head, letting his lips touch the side of Peter’s neck before bringing it up to his ear. “They get abnormally cold when I’m nervous.” He laid his palm flat on his stomach, hoping that his fingers weren’t going to betray him with a tremble. But if they did, then so be it. Not much he could do to hide away from this. He was <em>never</em> nervous when it came to this sort of activity, but with Peter - Peter was always going to be different. And he loved that. </p><p>“W-W-Why are you nervous?” He watched as Peter arched his chest up off the bed, his fingers sliding down his side in a light, teasing manner. “There’s no reason to be nervous right now, Tony.” </p><p>“Says the one that can’t stop stuttering.” Lowering his head to Peter’s, he kissed him softly on the lips. “Tell me what you want to do right now. We can do whatever you want. There’s no pressure. If you want to play just the tip again, we can.” </p><p>Peter nodded his head, but then Tony saw him look over at his nightstand. “D-Do you have lube?” </p><p>“I do.” His palms became clammy again, as he realized what Peter was suggesting. “Are you sure? I’m telling you Peter, there’s no reason to jump into this.” </p><p>“I know.” Two hands touched his jaw, holding his face in place. “I want to, Tony. It’s time.” </p><p>“We can do other things first.” Suddenly he was feeling more nervous than he was before. Peter was telling him it was okay, that this was okay. They were going to have sex. Actual sex. Not ‘let’s torture Tony’ kind of sex, not that he didn’t mind that. He <em>loved</em> playing ‘just the tip’ with him, and would do so until the day he died. But this - Peter consenting to wanting to do this now - it was throwing his world into a spin. What if it was a mistake? What if they were moving too fast. They’ve known each other for so long, but their sexual relationship was still taking off. He didn’t want to ruin this good thing if something went terribly wrong. That already happened once, and he didn’t want it to happen again. </p><p>Tony brought his forehead to Peter’s, and exhaled a deep breath. “I’m scared.” He admitted, wanting Peter to know his fears. There was no reason to not share them with him. </p><p>“I’m scared too, Tony.” Peter whispered, his breath touching his lips. “But I want to do this.” </p><p>“Are you absolutely sure?” Tony kept his forehead pressed against his, afraid to move. “Because if you’re not, then no - we won’t do it.” </p><p>The sweet laughter that came out of Peter’s mouth had his stomach rolling. “I’m positive, Tony. But, um - can we do it without the lights on?” </p><p>“Right. Shit.” He lifted his head. “Friday? Kill the lights, and close the curtains.” </p><p>“You got it boss.” </p><p>Tony could feel his heart beating hard in his chest, as he saw the lights dim and heard the electric motor of his curtains being drawn. The room was robed in darkness, making it a little difficult to see in the dark. He waited for his eyes to adjust, and then saw the smiling face of one Peter Parker looking up at him, his own lips returning the same look. </p><p>“You know that I love you, right?” Tony asked, as he kept staring into Peter’s eyes, getting used to the darkness. “Because I do. I love you a lot, Peter.” </p><p>“I know, Tony.” The smile only seemed to grow on Peter’s face. “This is right. This feels right. Now’s the time. I’m not scared.” </p><p>He reached over to his nightstand, and grabbed the bottle of lube, thankful that he’d decided to buy one that had warming properties to it, because his fingers were icy cold at the moment. “I wish I could say the same.” He mumbled, hating how he felt. </p><p>“Everything is good, Tony. I love you.” Peter’s hand touched his face, and drew him down towards him. “You’re going to take good care of me.” </p><p>“I will, sweetheart.” He whispered, his eyes starting to fill with tears. “I’m not going to hurt you. Ever.” </p><p>“I know.” Peter stared back up at him, Tony’s breath catching in his throat. “Make love to me?” </p><p>Putting the lube down on the bed, he took a deep breath. Tony, for the first time in his life, was terrified. But Peter’s smiling face let him know that there was no reason to be - that no matter what things may change, the love that he felt for him would not. Holding onto those thoughts, he touched Peter’s face, and gave a nod of his head. “As you wish.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please listen to <a href="https://youtu.be/KXP84ijiLbg">this</a> while reading.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s icy cold hand let Peter know that his mentor was having the same panic as he was feeling, which caused his panic to ebb away. It really made him see that he had no reason to be worried, because this was good. <em>Everything is good</em>. He’d meant that when he said it to Tony, knowing that this is exactly what he wanted. It was scary, but he knew that Tony was going to take care of him. He <em>always</em> took care of him - whether it’s out on the field, or needing help with a question on homework. And now? Tony had helped him more these last few months as ‘Eds’ than he ever could imagine a person helping him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gasped softly as Tony’s hands pushed the shirt he was wearing up towards his neck. Lifting his arms, he felt the fabric slip over his face and soon was gone from his body. He reached for Tony’s, and offered the same assistance to him, both of them exchanging kisses with each other as they laughed quietly. They were both giddy - for the same reason? Peter had no idea. Why would Tony feel like this with him? He’d had many lovers, he was sure. But now, he was Peter’s, and he was his, and that made everything in the world seem perfect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A hand touched his waist, two fingers popping the button on his jeans. “Lift up your hips for me, sweetheart…” Tony’s breath touched his ear, sending a shiver down Peter’s back. “Need to get these off of you if we’re going to do this properly.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m c-c-curious as to how we’d do it with them on.” Peter released a breathless laugh, trying to get his own nerves to calm down. The darkness helped, because that meant that Tony wouldn’t be able to see the way his heart was hammering. “Do you know tricks that I don’t, Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I know <em>plenty</em> of tricks, Ben.” His laugh quickly turned to a soft moan as Tony’s hands slid down his legs, pulling both his pants and underwear off. “And now, you’re naked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’re n-n-not.” He hated that he couldn’t stop his stupid nervous stutter, but at least Tony wasn’t making fun of him. Not that he ever would. “We should fix that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, we should.” Peter brought his hand to Tony’s jeans, and gave the button a little flick. The sound of his zipper seemed so much louder than it probably was, the stillness in the room almost suffocating. “Do you want to listen to some more Bird, Peter?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday? More Charlie Parker, if you please.” Tony laid on his back, giving Peter a better angle to help get his pants off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sounds of the album jam session came through the speakers, the familiar music helping to put Peter at ease. He got Tony’s pants down to his thighs, and then brought his head down to his cock, giving the hard piece of flesh a little kiss before he pulled his pants all the way off. He brought his lips back to the tip and gave it a few more kisses, then began to swipe his tongue over the tip, groaning low as he tasted a little bit of precum seeping from the slit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you keep doing that, you’re going to make me explode, Peter.” He could hear there was a raw edge to Tony’s voice, which made him happy. It was addicting, getting to hear Tony talk in such a way to him. He wasn’t sure he would ever get used to it, because it was so surreal to him. “Why don’t you come and lay next to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head, and giving his cock one last kiss, Peter moved himself to be laying right next to Tony’s side. “A-Are you going to touch me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, that’s the plan.” Icy cold hands touched his hip, making him gasp. “I’m so sorry. I’m trying to get them warm, but I told you-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re nervous. I understand, Tony. Me too. Makes me feel a lot better knowing that you’re right there with me.” Peter reached for Tony’s hands and held them with his own as they looked at each other. He brought them up to his lips and blew warm air on them, but he knew it was probably going to do no good. “Talk to me. What’s on your mind?” He asked, hoping that it would help calm Tony down. Tony was usually the one to ask this question, but he had asked himself on more than one occasion. He just hadn’t done it yet as Peter, and only through their chat program. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want to screw this up.” Tony rested his head against his shoulder, Peter putting his arm around him. “You’re too special to me, Peter. I know things are going to change, and once you get that taste of sex, you’re going to want it more. But I want you to know that that isn’t the reason I’m doing this. I’m doing this-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you love me. And I love you. I know, Tony.” Peter smiled, happy to hear that his stutter wasn’t present at the moment. “Everything is good.” He reminded him, touched the back of Tony’s neck as he felt his breath against the side of his neck. “You’ve got to trust me, okay? Funny - now who’s the one who’s the smurf?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hah.” It didn’t sound very funny leaving Tony’s mouth, but he knew that wasn’t supposed to be the case. “Alright. No more stalling, huh?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even in the darkness of the room, he could see Tony looking down at him, the love and anxiety apparent in his eyes. Peter didn’t look away as he nodded his head, feeling his cheeks grow warm as they kept their eyes locked on one another. “Make me ready for you. Please, Tony. I want this. <em>We</em> want this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, we do.” Lips landed on his own, Tony kissing him with a tender sweetness that had Peter melting into the bed with a soft moan. “Spread your legs a little bit for me, sweetheart…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded, and slowly spread his legs open, lifting his hips up a little to help Tony get his hand where it needed to be. The sound of the lube being uncapped had his heart accelerating again, but he took a few deep breaths, his hand holding onto Tony’s forearm as he saw him lay on his side next to him. The lube was poured onto his fingers, Peter’s chest rising and falling with each excited breath he took. He remembered how Tony’s finger felt, and was excited to feel it again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The warmth surprised him, forcing a soft gasp out of him as Tony carefully began to work his finger into his body. “It’s self warming.” Tony murmured, his lips now scattering kisses along Peter’s neck. He tilted his head as more of the digit was slipped inside of him, a deep moan leaving his chest as he tried to keep himself relaxed. “You’re doing so well right now, Peter. Keep breathing, okay? The more you relax, the easier it will be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I k-k-know….” There it was again, but this time he couldn’t help it. His nerves were on edge, as he tried to get used to the single finger inside of him. The warmth of the lube helped, as it was giving him something to relax against, but it still felt weird. And when Tony started to push a second finger into him, he gripped his forearm with a little more strength than he probably should have. “O-Oh….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s alright.” The encouraging tone that Tony used helped to calm him down, his hips pushing down on the fingers that were now feeling like they were splitting him open inch by inch. “I’m going to slowly scissor them, okay? It might feel a little weird, but trust me - it will help get you in a place where you need to be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony…” He moaned his lover’s name, his eyes closing tight as the scissoring began. He felt the pressure against his inner walls, his body desperate to push them out, but if he did that then this would be all for nought. And he doesn’t want that. His damn body and its ability to heal faster than normal was definitely working against him at the moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shhh….” More kisses to his neck distracted him from the strange feeling, but then it returned tenfold as a third finger was pushed into him. With his other hand, he grabbed onto the bed sheet, needing <em>something</em> to hold onto with his strength. “I’ve got you, sweetheart….Take a few deep breaths, okay? That will lessen the pain for you…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter took a few deep breaths, counting to five as he inhaled and then as he exhaled. He could feel his inner walls spasming, still trying to fight against what was happening with the unbelievable thickness moving in and out of his body. He could hear the soft squelching sound, the lube on Tony’s fingers being applied liberally to his inner walls, which he knew would be good for when they moved to the real thing. But right now - right now it felt so weird and strange, and he wasn’t sure if this was something he liked or not. There was no pleasure right now - only a weird uncomfortableness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When’s this going to feel g-g-g-good?” He asked, trying to breathe as he felt Tony’s fingers start to spread apart inside of him again. “B-Because I’m not so s-s-sure this is nice, Eds….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony chuckled softly, then touched his lips to his with a gentle kiss. “It takes a little getting used to, Ben. Is it bad? Do you want me to stop?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t. I just don’t know if it feels good.” Peter turned his head, resting it against Tony’s shoulder as the fingers inside of him kept pumping slow. He was going to ask him how much longer he was going to do this when Tony’s finger pushed against something, and his body grew warm in an instant. “O-O-Oh….” He moaned, his head falling back onto the pillow as he tried to manage the heat still rushing through him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See? We just had to find that little spot.” The velvet richness of Tony’s voice rumbled in his ear, Peter nodding his head slowly as more heat began to spread throughout his body as that spot was touched again. “It’s nice when I touch right there, isn’t it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah.” He nodded his head fast, still struggling to breathe properly as Tony’s fingers now were returning to spreading him open. It happened again, and this time dots began to appear in his vision, as a deep moan fell past his lips. “Oh, God…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s get that loaded gun off, hmm?” Tony’s lips started to brush against the tip of his cock, Peter’s head tossing back as he wasn’t prepared for the wet heat to surround him. The fingers inside of him suddenly didn’t feel so bad, as Tony’s tongue lathed his cock, the tip pushing against the back of his throat. Peter knew that Tony was right - he was already so close to an orgasm that he wouldn’t be able to stop it if he tried. The three fingers moved in and out of him in a steady rhythm that Peter soon found himself obeying, his own hips pushing down to get them a little further into him. Each bob of Tony’s head went counter to what his fingers were doing, and then - then his fingers brushed <em>that</em> spot again and Peter screamed, unaware that he was actually screaming as he came hard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Panting for breath, he didn’t realize the fingers that had been inside of him were now no longer there. His throat felt raw, and then realized that it was because he’d just been making so much noise. Tony’s face was resting against his thigh, the look on his face causing his cheeks to grow warm with a blush that snaked its way down to his shoulders. “I don’t know if you’re ready for the main event.” Tony whispered, his beard tickling his inner thigh. “Because baby - that was <em>incredible</em> to listen to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-S-Stop, Tony…” He shook his head, feeling ridiculous. “I was too loud, wasn’t I?” He cleared his throat, clearly hearing his voice was slightly hoarse. “I’m sorry. It just - it felt so good, with your fingers and your mouth. Like, wow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There you go again with your ‘wow’s.” Tony’s face was close to his now, and he could smell his spunk on his lips. He lifted his head and was quick to kiss him, wanting to taste that uniqueness on his tongue that he knew came from his own body. “Be as loud as you want. There’s no one here but us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Friday.” Peter reminded him, a smirk on his lips as he laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Real cute, Ben.” Tony lowered his head and started to blow raspberries against his neck, causing him to squeal and laugh. “Do you surrender?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I surrender!!” He laughed, completely loose as he shook his head back and forth. “Stop, Tony!!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bed soon shifted, and he felt the weight of Tony’s body on top of his. Suddenly his heart was back to pounding hard as he looked up into his lover’s eyes. “Everything is good.” Tony whispered, as they stared into each other’s eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yes.” It was. It was good. Nothing bad was going to happen. He was safe. Tony was going to take care of him. “Everything is good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their lips came back together, slow sensual kisses being shared with one another. Peter could feel his cock growing hard again, as the weight of Tony’s body shifted off of him, his chest now hovering above his own. He heard the bottle of lube being uncapped again, and the sound of the viscous fluid being poured out onto Tony’s hand. He didn’t want to look down, afraid that it would be too weird to watch Tony coating his cock with the substance. But his curious mind wouldn’t let him not, so down his gaze went as he saw Tony on his knees, slathering the lube on his stiffness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to go slow.” Tony said, as he resettled between his thighs. “If, at any time, you don’t feel comfortable you <em>tell</em> me. Do you understand, Peter?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Tony.” He nodded his head, as he gave his lover his full attention. “If it hurts, I’ll tell you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, if you’re <em>uncomfortable</em>. It’s going to hurt. But you can’t fight against it. You need to relax. Remember to breathe.” Peter moaned softly as Tony’s lips started to kiss along his jaw, his beard scratching his neck. “The pain won’t last long, as long as you don’t fight it. Promise me you won’t fight it, sweetheart…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One more kiss to his lips helped relax him a little further, as the tip of Tony’s cock began to rub against his loosened hole. Peter groaned, his shoulders lifting up off the bed as Tony teased him. It wasn’t like it had been earlier in the afternoon - that was a game he knew that wouldn’t go that far, but now - now they were going to cross that line. That line that they’d been tiptoeing towards the last week. <em>A week? Oh God, this is too fast</em>. But no, he’s known Tony for so long - and has had more than one erotic dream about him - that this feels right. This is what he wanted. And as the tip nudged against him more, he couldn’t wait for it to really slip inside of him, and show him there was nothing to be worried about. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look at me, sweetheart.” Tony’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, as he opened his eyes to look up at him. “Keep your eyes on me. On the count of three, alright…? One….two….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony didn’t say the word three because Peter was already moaning as the tip was pushed into him. It was much thicker than his three fingers had been, his body struggling to keep it inside, more so than he had with Tony’s fingers. He could feel tears slipping from his eyes from the overwhelming amount of pain that was happening. <em>I can’t fight it. I can’t</em>. He took a few deep breaths, the sounds of Charlie Parker helping to calm him down slightly. It was something familiar while this new sensation was happening, helping to keep him in check. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s good, Peter. Keep breathing.” Peter nodded his head, as he felt Tony’s cock start to get in a little further into his body. “One more deep breath, baby….” He took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled as a little bit more went in. “Almost there….” Peter whined softly, his hands now gripping onto Tony’s shoulders as he tried to keep himself relaxed as that thickness continued to jam into him. “And…...there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All of Tony’s cock was inside of him, his body feeling like it was on fire as he struggled to remember how to breathe. He stared up at him, a soft whimper leaving his throat as Tony kept his hips still. “M-Move…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Soon.” Tony whispered, a soft kiss touching his lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-T-Tony….” He begged, wanting <em>something</em> to change, because right now this incredible fullness was too much for him to handle. He wanted to sob, but didn’t want Tony to think he wasn’t enjoying himself. He wasn’t sure if he was, because it was still so different, but he knew that it would get better soon. It <em>had</em> to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thickness inside of him slowly began to slide out, offering him a little bit of relief, but then Tony pushed his hips forward, and <em>that’s</em> when it all changed. His eyes snapped open as he stared up at him, releasing a needy moan as Tony repeated the action. The pressure inside of him no longer felt awful, but felt really <em>really</em> good. His hips tried to push down, but then Tony’s hand touched him. He looked up and saw him shake his head, which he responded with a small nod of his own. Peter gasped as one particular slow thrust pushed Tony deeper than he had been a second ago, his inner walls embracing him instead of trying to fight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Peter…” Tony moaned his name, more tears beginning to fall from his eyes as he tried to keep them on him. “Don’t be afraid….” He wasn’t. How could he be, when Tony was his <em>everything</em>? To get to share this with him wasn’t anything he ever imagined would ever happen in his life, certainly not now. And yet, here they were, doing things that they probably shouldn’t be doing, but at this point who cared? Not him, that was for certain. “God, you feel so good, sweetheart…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His chest arched up as Tony’s lips returned to his neck, Peter releasing a deep moan as the subtle shift of Tony’s hips had his cock hitting <em>that</em> spot inside of him. “T-Tony….” He moaned, both of his arms now hooked underneath Tony’s arms, his fingers holding onto his shoulders for dear life. “Oh, God it feels so good…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, baby….” Tony’s lips dragged back and forth over his, Peter trying to kiss him back but couldn’t due to the constant moans that were leaving his mouth instead. “And it’s only going to keep feeling better….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nnngh…..” He moaned loud and long as Tony slowly rolled his hips into his own. Music filled the air, almost as if it were competing with how his moans, Tony’s groans, and the way their bodies slapped together were a poor attempt at trying to match it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something warm touched his cock, making him cry out, not at all expecting Tony’s hand to be around him. “Eyes back on me…” Tony requested, which he immediately obeyed. “Perfect, sweetheart….I’m going to make you come, alright? Do you want me to come inside of you? It’s okay if you don’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C-Come inside….” Peter pleaded, wanting to know how it was going to feel. “God, please, come inside of me, Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The insistence of Tony’s thrusts had him pushing back against the bed, his eyes struggling to stay open as pleasure began to consume him completely. The hand on his cock was pumping him in time to the snap of Tony’s hips, and he could feel himself getting closer and closer to another orgasm. Tony’s cock moved so that just the tip was inside of him, and then one hard thrust pushed him all the way back into Peter’s body, but not without hitting him right in <em>that</em> spot that made him scream again as he began to come. His entire body went numb from head to toe as he came, Tony’s voice filling his ear with soft praises, Peter sobbing as he realized just how much he loved his man, and how good it felt to share this connection with him. This was a connection that <em>no one</em> was ever going to take away from them. He kissed Tony’s neck and then groaned as he heard his mentor release a deep moan, and then felt liquid heat splashing against his inner walls, Tony coming deep inside of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a few deep breaths, he clung to Tony as he realized that it was over. He was officially no longer a virgin by penetration standards. “How’re you doing, sweetheart?” Tony asked, Peter looking up at him with a soft smile on his lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was insane.” Peter laughed, and then grunted as Tony slipped out of him unexpectedly. “Aww…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, that was necessary.” Tony kissed him sweetly on the lips. “Turn on your side. I’ll be right back.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Okay.” He nodded, and did as he was asked. A few minutes later, something soft began to touch his ass, startling him as he hadn’t been expecting it. “W-Warn me, Eds…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Ben.” A featherlight kiss touched his shoulder, as Tony kept using the towel to wipe away the mess that was slowly trickling out of his ass. “I think I got most of it, but you may wind up feeling a little more slip out of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why you asked if I wanted you to come in me.” Peter put two and two together. “What would you have done if I said no?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would have pulled out, and probably come on your stomach.” Tony shrugged his shoulders, as he put his arms around Peter’s body. “How’re you feeling? You don’t have any pain, do you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shook his head. “No, it’s a little weird, though. Not gonna lie about that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It might be a little uncomfortable for you tomorrow when you sit down. Gotta find a particular way to sit.” He turned his head, and stole a kiss from Tony before resettling his head on the pillow. “How do you feel, though?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happy.” Peter smiled, and put his hand on top of Tony’s arm. “And honestly? A little hungry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony chuckle softly. “Would you like for me to go and get us some cookies? A little post-coitus snack?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds amazing.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stay put.” Another kiss touched his lips before the warmth of Tony’s body disappeared from his back. “Want anything to drink?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Water.” Although milk sounded good, he wasn’t sure if he could finish a glass right now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, sweetheart.” Tony’s lips touched his ear. “I love you, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned his head, and touched Tony’s face, smiling up at him. “I love you too, Tony.” The smile that they shared made his heart skip a beat in his chest as his stomach began to roll. “Go get us some cookies. Please?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter flopped back down onto the bed, turning his head into the pillow as he wanted to let out the loudest scream at how giddy he felt at the moment. But, he kept his calm as he waited for Tony to return with their cookies. Sitting up, he pushed his pillow up against the headboard, and felt the first slight tingle of pain coming from his ass as he tried to find a comfortable position. He winced as Tony walked back into the room carrying the box of cookies and two bottles of water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” He asked, a look of concern on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing.” Peter shook his head, as he moved a little bit to the right, exhaling as it didn’t hurt now. “You said I was going to have some discomfort. That’s what this is. That’s all. I promise. Everything is good, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony set the box down, then handed him a bottle of water. “I didn’t know which one you’d want, so I figured I’d bring them all in. Want me to get the chessboard too? We could try and finish our game, without any rules except that of the game.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re nervous.” He looked up at Tony, and saw him scratching the back of his neck. “Why are you nervous right now? We’ve already had sex.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” The bed shifted with Tony’s weight, as he sat next to him on the bed. His hand touched his thigh, and he could feel how clammy his hand was. “By all logic, I shouldn’t be right now because the worst was done.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter reached for the box and grabbed a sugar cookie with M&amp;Ms in it. “Unless you’re thinking about what happens now. Then I guess I could see why you might be a bit nervous.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I am.” Peter felt Tony rest his chin against his shoulder, which had him leaning back against him with a smile on his lips. “Tell me what you’re thinking about right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a bite of his cookie, Peter turned his head and rubbed his nose against his neck. “I’m thinking about how nice this is. I don’t really feel any different? I guess that’s a good thing, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It definitely is.” He held up his cookie, letting Tony have a bite. “And it’s good that you don’t feel any different. Sex is nice - it’s really nice, but you and I - that’s not all we have going for each other. Which is why I guess I’m a little nervous because the last relationship I was in, I messed up pretty bad.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms. Potts.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Correct.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked at Tony, knowing that this was also a lot of him. “I know I’m different from her. What we share, what we <em>will</em> share in the future won’t ever compare to what you two had. You’re not going to mess this up. If anyone’s going to make a mess of this, it’s me. But you said it yourself, we only have a few months until my seventeenth birthday. After that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After that, then I don’t know if it’s still a good thing to come out about our relationship, but we’re not there yet.” Tony grabbed another cookie from the box and started to munch on it. “Gotta take it day by day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m okay with that.” He was. With their insomnia, and how shitty they slept, it was the only way to remain somewhat sane. “Day by day is a good way to go about things. Because if we don’t, we might get caught up in our heads. And I know that’s a problem for me a lot of the time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re preaching to the choir.” He felt Tony’s arm wrap around his waist, pulling him to be close to him. “God, how did I luck out and find you? Because you’re pretty amazing, Peter Parker.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He blushed, shaking his head as he finished his cookie. “I’m not amazing. I’m lacking in the relationship department compared to you. I don’t know what I’m doing. So, for all we know, you’re setting the standards ridiculously high for my next lover.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your next? Excuse me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter started to laugh as Tony attacked his neck with more raspberries. “Tony!! Tony, stop!!” He laughed louder as his beard began to tickle his neck, but then - then his teeth found purchase near his clavicle, and his laughter quickly turned to a wanton moan as a surge of desire began to go through his body for his lover. <em>He’s really that now, isn’t he?</em>  “H-Harder….” He asked, wanting to see if Tony would actually listen to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How quick will you heal?” Tony’s voice had returned to that husky tone, the sound going straight down to his cock. “Tomorrow? Monday?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-M-Monday…” He knew the limits of his body, and knew that it would take a full day to heal properly. “I’ve got a collared shirt.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d better, or we’re going to have to get real creative with your clothing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-You said I was in control. I want you to bite me harder…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s teeth nipped at his neck, sending a slight shiver down his back. “So demanding, now that you’ve had a real taste of sex. Maybe I shouldn’t let you be in charge anymore…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony….” The whine in his voice quickly turned to a moan as Tony bit down in the same spot again, with the same amount of pressure as before. But then, gradually it got harder, Peter now releasing a deep moan as the pleasure began to spread through his entire body. “Oh, <em>yes</em>….”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another bite to his neck made him release another deep moan, Peter struggling to get up on Tony’s lap without having him unlatch his mouth from his neck. It somehow worked, and soon he was teasing himself with the tip of Tony’s cock, that he could feel was only semi-hard at the moment, which was okay by him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to have more sex right now or not. All he knew was the way Tony’s mouth felt on his neck, and the way his beard scratched against his skin, it was doing things to him that he wasn’t aware he would ever like. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt the tip push up against him more. “Do you want it back inside of you, sweetheart…?” Tony asked, as Peter felt himself lifting up on his knees to rub himself more against it. “It’s getting there….Just tease it a little more, and I’ll be good to be back inside of you if you want…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I….” Peter knew he had the control, and could say no if he wanted to, but did he? No, not really. He wanted to know what it would feel like in this position - would it be less painful now that they’ve already done it? Or would it hurt less? “Do you need to prep me again…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Warm breath caressed his ear, as Tony’s hands spread his asscheeks apart. Peter groaned as he felt the thickness of his cock push up between his cheeks, clearly now back to full hardness. His body was aching to feel the tip push against him. One hand disappeared from his ass, and he heard the distinct sound of the lube cap coming off. “Just need to get a little more of this on me, and then we should be good.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Balancing his forearms on Tony’s shoulders, he looked into his eyes. “D-Do you want to stay like this? Or should I get on my back again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stay like this.” Tony nodded his head, Peter moaning softly as he felt the tip return to his loose hole. “You want to try it like this, right?” He groaned, and nodded his head as the tip slipped into him. “Breathe, Peter….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took effort to exhale, but he did it, and as soon as he did he began to sink down onto Tony’s girthy cock. His head hit his shoulder, as a deep moan left his throat at the quick penetration. He hadn’t been ready for it, but now that it was here, it was making his head spin. He felt lightheaded, and had to take a few moments to find his center as he clung to Tony’s body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both of his arms wrapped around his body, Tony’s lips touching his ear. “I’ve got you, baby….Go ahead and try moving a little. It’s going to feel different like this, but don’t be scared. You’re safe with me, Peter… “</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I k-know….” He moaned, the indescribable fullness he was experiencing with this position was making it difficult for him to do things. He could feel every single inch inside of him, and as he tried to adjust, he forced him to go in a little deeper, which made him cry out. “O-Oh….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes….” Tony’s arms held him close, giving him the support that he needed as he began to slowly roll his hips experimentally. “God, that feels incredible, Peter….Go ahead and try that again…. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter gave another small roll of his hips, and felt Tony’s cock shift inside of him, and with it a burst of heat began to spread throughout his body. His pleasure doubled as he rolled his hips again, this time the tip of Tony’s cock nudging right up against his prostate. It was the ideal position to have that happen, and have complete control over it. Peter whined low, his arms wrapped tight around Tony’s neck as he began to rock his hips back and forth with a little more speed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony…” Peter felt his cock rutting against the planes of Tony’s stomach, his cock getting the attention it sorely needed at the moment. “I-It feels….this is….” He tried to articulate but couldn’t, his vocabulary failing him again as the pleasure began to take over. His knees dug into the mattress as he began to drop himself up and down on the older man’s cock, feeling every single inch slide in and out of him. He tossed his head back with a loud moan, and then felt it cut off as Tony’s lips attached themselves to his neck, biting down as he dropped down hard onto his cock. “Oh, <em>fuck</em>!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One second he was humping Tony, and then the next he was sprawled onto his back, Tony pounding into him with a frenzy that hadn’t been there the first time. Peter held on for dear life as he stared up at his lover, the wild look of desire in his eyes reflected in his own as he pushed his hips down every single time Tony pushed his into him. It wasn’t long before he was scrambling to touch his own cock, jerking himself off as he felt Tony’s cock pump in and out of him. He screamed in pleasure as he experienced his third orgasm in a row, Peter’s toes curling as heat spread throughout his entire body. He heard Tony moan his name and then that rush of his release began to fill his insides, making him warm from the inside out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sweat dripped down the side of his face, Peter panting hard as he stared up at Tony, the two sharing a smile that could only be described as one filled with love and respect for the other. He grunted softly when he felt Tony pull out, and then the soft towel was wiping at his ass, making him whimper softly at the duality of the touch. Tony kissed him over and over, Peter becoming breathless as he was cleaned up by his lover. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony pulled him into his arms, the two of them finding the perfect spot together underneath the blanket. “How do you feel now, Peter?” Tony asked, as he felt his lips drag back and forth across his forehead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like I could sleep for an eternity.” He yawned softly, cuddling close to the warmth that Tony’s body provided. “You?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same. And happy. I’m very happy right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, Tony.” Lifting his head, he brought his lips to Tony’s and gave him a soft kiss. “A lot. Like, a whole lot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s soft laugh filled his chest with warmth. “I love you too, Peter. Remember, if you have a nightmare, it’s okay. You’re safe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m with you.” Peter yawned again, and nodded his head. “I know. Likewise, Tony. If you have any nightmares, you know that you’re safe. I’m here. Everything is good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is good.” He felt Tony’s fingers touch his chin, and soon he felt his lips on his, touching him with a good night kiss. “Sweet dreams, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm….night Tony…” Closing his eyes, he found a comfortable spot against Tony’s shoulder, and began to drift to sleep. The last thought on his mind before hitting dreamland was of Tony’s face, and how it had looked when they first had sex. That brought a smile to his face, Peter hoping that he wouldn’t experience a repeat of what had happened in the afternoon. But he knew if it did, that Tony was right there with him. And that made him rest with peace in his mind. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>A loud snore in his ear brought Tony out of his slumber, bringing a soft groan of protest from his own throat at being so rudely woken up. Blinking a few times, he was surprised to see sunlight streaming in through the curtains, impressed once again that they had somehow slept through the night without either of them having any nightmares or night terrors. Turning his head, he saw the person that had woken him up so rudely by the sounds of their snores, another one happening again but this time much quieter. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Peter’s face, a few curls resting on his forehead as he stayed peacefully asleep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Last night had been something he hadn’t anticipated happening. Of course, he had <em>hoped</em> they would go the next step, but he really had been in no rush to change their relationship. Peter had been <em>perfect</em>, and he honestly hoped that he had been too. If anything were to ever happen between the two of them down the road, he hoped that Peter would always be able to look back on last night as something nice, and not the shitty way he’d lost his own virginity. He still was on cloud nine after their evening together - his own arousal perking up at the memory. <em>Down boy</em>. He didn’t want to startle Peter awake with a raging hard on. But then again, maybe that was something he would like. Decisions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s nose rubbed against his neck, and he heard a soft sigh escape past his lips. “I-Is it morning…?” Peter asked, continuing to rub his nose back and forth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is.” He replied, turning his head to plant a kiss to his forehead. “Don’t ask me what time it is, though. It could be early.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmmm.” A soft yawn had him doing the same after a few minutes. “I hope it’s not too early. I feel rested.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that all you feel?” Tony shifted his arm around Peter, who had stayed against his side the entire night. It was becoming something that he really enjoyed - having the comfort of him in his arms, so close to his body. He knew he was taking care of Peter. Maybe that’s why the nightmares weren’t happening for him right now - his subconscious was happy with the act of being in control. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More curls flopped onto Peter’s forehead as he nodded his head. “Yeah. I-” He felt him shift, and then saw his expression change. “O-Oh. Now I know why you asked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it sore? Or painful?” He wouldn’t panic, not yet. He knew that Peter was going to be sore. “There’s a difference.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” Peter shifted again, Tony keeping his eyes on his face as he watched him. “Sore. Definitely sore. I’m not really in any pain. No, wait. It’s like….it’s like a dull throbbing pain. But that’s normal, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is.” Exhaling his worries away, Tony nodded. “Anyone else, it might be a lot worse, but you? Because of your abilities, it’s probably way less than it should be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is sex always going to be like this??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony chuckled and shook his head. “No, of course not. It’s like anything else - the more practice you have, the better you get at it. That includes your body, and muscle memory.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, okay. That’s okay then.” Peter dropped his head back onto his shoulder, Tony humming a little under his breath as he felt his lips touch his taut skin with a soft kiss. “I had a lot of fun last night, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you?” He smiled, pleased to hear Peter bringing it up. He was afraid that with the sun returning, he might get a little shy about what they’d shared the night before. “Talk to me. Tell me what you liked the most.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And <em>that</em> was a mistake, because Peter buried his face against his neck. He could feel the heat coming off of him in waves, which made him laugh and hold him a little closer to his chest. “I can’t talk about it!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not?” Teasing him, he ran his hand along Peter’s side and gave his hip a playful squeeze. “Fine, we won’t talk about it. Friday? What time is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s ten after eight, boss. Weather is supposed to be in the mid-seventies again today. There are a few clouds in the sky, with more rolling in tonight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He groaned, not wanting to hear that it was going to be rainy this week. “Thank you.” He looked down at Peter, who was still slightly pink from his embarrassment about wanting to discuss what they’d done. “It’s early. What would you like to do, sweetheart?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shower? Eat? U-Um, have more s-sex?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In that order?” Tony smirked. “Or do I get to pick what order we go in?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-You can pick.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew if they showered first, and then wound up back on the bed, then another shower would be necessary. Then again, they had had sex twice the night before, so maybe a clean up shower was in order. “I’m not quite starving yet, so let’s hold off on eating for the moment.” Tony slid his hand down to Peter’s ass, and gave it a squeeze. He heard him moan softly, both of them turning their bodies towards one another. “Do you want me to be back inside of you?” He asked, brushing his lips back and forth against Peter’s, knowing that his lover didn’t like deep morning kisses until he’d brushed his teeth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, please.” Peter nodded his head, as Tony’s fingers dipped between his ass cheeks. “I-Is that okay? Or am I not supposed to? I don’t know what to do here, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The questions were as endearing as they were sweet and adorable, and Tony couldn’t believe how he’d been so lucky to find the perfect person to be with. “You can do whatever you want. Hell - you can wake me up in the middle of the night to bone down if you want. I’m not going to tell you no.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not true.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, fine. I won’t tell you no when we’re in here. Or your bedroom. Or anywhere we’re together that has a bed and can facilitate us having sex together.” Tony grinned, as he saw Peter looking up at him with a pleased look on his face. “Actually, you know what? There doesn’t have to be a bed. Any room, really.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds, what?” Peter dropped his head back down to his shoulder, Tony laughing as he saw the tip of his ears start to turn scarlet. “You can’t say things like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just did.” He rested his cheek against the top of his head, smiling softly. “But really - I mean it. I won’t ever say no if there’s something you want to try, something you’ve heard being discussed, something you saw in a porn.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop, please.” His voice was muffled, but Tony could hear him plain as day. “You’re making this so much worse right now, Eds. Please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckled, and kissed the top of his head. “Fine, I’ll stop. But I mean it, Ben. Peter. Whichever you want to be right now.” He saw Peter’s beautiful brown eyes look up at him, stealing his breath away at the innocence he saw there. “Don’t be mad at me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not.” Peter shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. “But, I do have a favor to ask.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we take a shower? Or, like, can I go take one? Because, um….sex is kind of gross.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony openly laughed at that, tears springing to his eyes from how hard he was laughing. “Oh, sweetheart. It’s okay, I know. I failed at doing a good job of cleaning you up last night if you’re feeling that gross right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-N-No, you didn’t. I just, I can feel it? Inside of me? It’s weird. I don’t know how to describe it. You know what - maybe it’s better that I don’t.” Peter was laughing with him, which made Tony feel better, as he definitely didn’t want Peter thinking he was making fun of him. “You get it. Right? Or like, are you always on top?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not, and yes - I understand exactly what you mean.” He sat up, helping Peter to sit up and lean against him. “We can do whichever you want. If you prefer to do it in the privacy of the guest bathroom, I’m okay with that. But I’m also okay with helping you get cleaned up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Baby steps.” Peter shook his head. “I’ll shower alone, if that’s okay with you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is.” Tony helped him out of the bed, and was pleased to see he was walking fairly normally as he escorted him to the guest bedroom. He was glad Peter hadn’t panicked yet about the two of them walking through his penthouse naked, and was not about to bring it up for fear that that panic would return tenfold. When he got him to the bathroom, he leaned against the door jamb and smiled. “You sure you don’t want me to join you? I don’t mind. I can be good too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you can’t.” He smirked as he heard Peter laugh. “And neither can I. Go. Get showered too. Meet you in the kitchen for some breakfast?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds perfect, sweetheart.” Before Peter could move too far away from him, he grabbed him from behind and pulled him flush against his chest. “I love you, you know.” He whispered into Peter’s ear, before laying a chaste kiss on his lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I l-l-love you too, Tony.” Peter looked up at him with bright eyes, and a shy smile. “Now go!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going.” He laughed, and pulled himself away from Peter. He started to walk back to his own bedroom, but then was met with two arms wrapping themselves around his waist and pulling him backwards. “I thought you were getting into the shower.” He put his hands on top of Peter’s, as he felt his face touch the center of his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just wanted one more hug.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you did.” He turned around and gave him a proper hug, then laid one more kiss on his lips. “Go shower. Meet you back out here in twenty.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, Eds.” The grin on his face made Tony’s heart skip a beat, and then he waited for him to go back into the room before he finished crossing the penthouse to go back to his bedroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If there had been any doubt in his mind on how Peter was going to act after their night together, it left completely after that display of affection. He was pleased that Peter seemed to be in good spirits, which matched his own mood. And this wasn’t just the ‘I got laid’ vibes. No, this was something more - something <em>poignant</em> that he knew was special because it was with Peter. As he stood under the spray of hot water, he kept thinking about those beautiful noises he’d heard Peter make, and was looking forward to having it happen again. But he had told Peter time and again that he was the one in control, so he would wait and hope that the thirst was equally there for him. If it wasn’t, that was okay by him. There was more to their relationship than just the physical aspect - it would <em>always</em> be different because they had so much going for the two of them already. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He finished up in the shower and put on a pair of clean black briefs, some black lounge pants and a ribbed black tank top. Pushing some of his damp hair back, he walked back out to the living room and saw Peter was in the kitchen with a glass of juice in his hand. The smell of coffee hit his nostrils, his mug sitting right next to the coffee pot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What would you like for breakfast?” Tony approached him, and lowered his head to give him a real kiss, now that they’d both showered and brushed their teeth. He felt Peter’s tongue slip into his mouth, both tongues carrying the same flavor of toothpaste on them. He heard him moan softly as he dropped his hand to rest on Peter’s hip, holding him close. Without realizing it, their kiss became a bit intense, Tony breaking it off as the need to breathe became somewhat overwhelming. “Well….good morning to you too…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-Sorry, was that too much? I just….I really like kissing you.” Peter leaned against the counter, both of their chests still rising and falling after their shared kiss. “And you taste nice, and it feels good, and-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t, and you never have to apologize for it. Because I like it too.” He lowered his head, and brought Peter’s bottom lip between his and gave it a playful tug. “But we were discussing breakfast. I’d be more than happy to pull you back into my bedroom and have my way with you, but then that’ll require another shower, and you can see where this is going right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to be taking a lot of showers?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly.” Tony nodded his head, a smirk on his lips. “Not that I mind taking that many showers, but as you will have to learn there’s going to be a time and place for all of these things.” He reached past him to grab the coffee pot, and poured some into his mug. “So, I’ll ask again - what would you like for breakfast this morning?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Peter turn his head towards the bedroom. “If I ask for sex, is that out of the question?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at all.” He grinned, thrilled that Peter hadn’t stuttered when asking his question. He probably didn’t even realize he hadn’t, when he had done so only a little bit ago. “But that’s not a viable food source. As much as I wish it was, because I would definitely prefer that to having to cook.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you have? Do you have anything we can just heat up quickly? Or, can we go get something to eat? I don’t think I want to do something fancy, though. It’s Sunday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony took a sip of his coffee, and put his arm around Peter’s waist, holding him close. “Let’s order in. That way, we can have the food delivered so we don’t have to leave until I have to take you back to Queens. Which is at what time?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should be back by five.” Peter knocked his head against his chest, a soft sigh leaving his mouth. “I’m so happy I didn’t have another nightmare last night. I was a little worried it was going to happen, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, Ben.” He set his coffee cup down after taking another sip so that he could have both arms around him. Peter sank against his chest, Tony holding him in a close hug. “But you didn’t. Neither of us did. Or, if we did, it was so fleeting that we didn’t have to force ourselves awake. I’d call that another successful win. Two nights in a row sleeping for….roughly six to eight hours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But tonight….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rested his chin on top of Peter’s head, shaking his head back and forth. “Let’s not think about tonight right now. Maybe we’ll both be so tired that it won’t matter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching down, he gave Peter’s ass a little tap, chuckling when he heard him yelp. “That was for the sarcasm. Unnecessary, Ben. We’ll be okay. And, if we wake up? Then we just do our normal routine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter stepped away from him, and picked up his juice off the counter. Tony grabbed his phone and saw no emails screaming for his attention, nor did he see any missed calls. “What sort of food are you thinking you want for breakfast? Because we do still have….a dozen cookies left.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my God. Why did you buy two dozen.” Peter groaned, and shook his head. “I’ll take half with me to school tomorrow. Ned will be thrilled.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll take the rest to the office. Pepper will kill me. But what else is new?” He grinned, and started to look at restaurants nearby that would deliver. “Oh, this sounds good. What do you think?” He showed Peter his phone, while putting his hand on the nape of his neck. He heard him release a noise that sparked his interest, so he casually began to rub his thumb over it, watching as his head started to droop forward. “Ben, you’re supposed to be looking at my phone.” He teased, but knew that it was because of what his hand was doing to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“D-Don’t care….” The breathless quality to his voice definitely piqued another part of his body’s interest, as Tony casually moved himself to be standing behind him. He set the phone down on the counter and put his other hand on Peter’s shoulder, and slowly began to massage his shoulders. “O-Oh, that’s nice….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it?” He lowered his head, brushing his lips against the spot that his thumb had just been touching. Peter released a soft moan at the casual touch, and then lightly grazed his chin against it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt Peter sink more against him, another breathless moan leaving his throat as Tony continued to tease him. “T-Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should I take you back to my bedroom now, Peter?” He murmured into his ear, his hand sliding from his hip down to cup his genitals, which he could feel was as stiff as his own cock. “Tell me what you want to do, sweetheart…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I w-want you back inside of me….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Never had those words sounded so sweet to his ears. Tony couldn’t stop the deep moan from leaving his chest as he pushed Peter up against the counter, trapping him as he pushed his hips up against his. “I want to be inside of you too, baby….” He kissed the nape of his neck more, moaning low as he rolled his hips suggestively, pleased to feel Peter pushing back against him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-B-Bed….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nodding his head, he picked up Peter in his arms, groaning as he felt his legs wrap themselves around his waist, their mouths coming back together for sloppy, wet kisses as Tony struggled to get them to his bedroom. He dropped Peter on the bed, and watched as he pulled his own shirt off, Tony’s hand going to the hem of his tank top to do the same. The lights were still on in the room - there was no way they were going to be able to do this in the darkness, not unless he closed the blackout curtains. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay with this?” Tony asked, wanting to make sure. “I can close the blackout curtains. We can be in the dark, if you want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter bit his lip. “I’m o-okay.” He shook his head, as he returned to taking off his clothes. “Y-Yeah, I’m okay, Tony. Don’t worry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure?” He wanted to confirm, as he undid the drawstring at his waist, and pulled both his pants and underwear off in one fell swoop. “Because it’s real easy. Just a simple command to Friday, and then we’ll be in darkness.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I w-w-w-want to see what it looks like.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Oh</em>. Tony nodded his head, and grabbed the bottle of lube from his nightstand. “W-We can make that happen, sweetheart.” Tony hoped that Peter hadn’t noticed his own little nervous stutter, which only manifested at the worst times. He could feel his hands growing colder by the second, as he was hit with a bout of nerves that came out of nowhere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waiting to see how Peter wanted to be, he saw him return to his back, his underwear and pants now being dropped off the side of the bed. Tony could see his cock, the light dusting of pubic hair not anywhere near dense as his own, even after he’d manscaped. But it was perfect, because it was Peter. Tony held up the lube, and poured a little onto his fingers, happy that he’d chosen the warming kind because of his nervous problem. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spread your knees a little for me, sweetheart.” Tony kept his eyes on Peter as he kneeled between his legs, bringing his wet fingers to his ass. “That’s good. Keep them that open for me.” He nodded, as he pushed the tip of his index finger against Peter’s entrance. He carefully teased his puckering hole, feeling it start to open under the ministrations of his teasing touches. “Perfect, baby….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Y-Your cock is so much thicker….” Peter offhandedly mentions, as Tony gets his first finger into his body. “T-T-That was so surprising…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was it?” He was happy to keep the conversation going, as he could feel Peter’s inner walls fluttering against his finger. “Do you like my size? Or is it too much?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! I didn’t s-s-say that.” Tony chuckled softly as he worked more of his finger into his body. “N-No, it was just….Yes, I like your size. It’s nice. Really nice. Feels really good too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry - it’s going to be back inside of you soon.” Twisting his hand, he carefully began to push a second finger into him. “I won’t need to keep all three in you for as long as I did last night, since now your body has had a taste of what my cock feels like.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“G-Good, because I want it now…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I bet you do.” He smirked, as he started to spread apart his two fingers. Peter’s body was still loose from the night before. Pleased that he wasn’t going to have to spend a lot of time getting him worked open, Tony carefully pushed his third finger in. He heard Peter groan low, and saw his hips shift on the bed. “Easy, baby….” He murmured low, slowly pushing his fingers in and out of him at a slow pace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-T-Tony, please….” Peter’s begging was <em>always</em> going to be his downfall, because it sounded so damn good. Tony could feel his cock twitching, the need to be inside of him as great as the need that Peter had for wanting him back in there. “N-Now….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Soon.” Tony whispered, as he dropped his head down to be close to his. “God, you don’t know how good you sound, do you?” He left a kiss at the corner of Peter’s mouth, listening to him whine and moan as he kept moving his fingers in and out of him, occasionally spreading them apart when he pushed them back in. “Every little noise is so fucking arousing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-Is it…?” A deep moan left Peter’s throat, as the tip of his finger nudged against his prostate. “O-Oh, <em>fuck</em>….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hearing Peter swear was also something he was learning to love, as it told him exactly how he was feeling. Pulling his fingers out, he looked down at his twitching hole and saw it staying open for him. “You want to see, right?” He saw Peter nod his head, as he picked up the lube to pour more onto his hand. “Watch as I get this inside of you…” He put his hand on his cock, and started to coat it with lube. Once it was thoroughly saturated, he pushed the tip against Peter’s ass, and pushed it past that stubborn tight muscle. “Are you watching sweetheart….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yes, Tony….” He looked up and saw Peter’s eyes were glued to his cock, as he slowly pushed his girth into his body. “Oh, <em>fuck</em> that’s…...that’s….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice, isn’t it?” Tony kept inching his cock into him, not wanting to go too fast for fear of accidentally hurting him. There would be plenty of time to learn if Peter was into that kind of play, but for now - for now, he was happy to keep it vanilla for him. There was nothing wrong with keeping it traditional for a bit. “Look at that…..You’re taking it all…” He pushed his hips a little more, and then was buried to the hilt. “Breathe, Peter…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw his chest rise and fall as Peter dropped his head back down onto the pillow. “God, s-s-so full….” Peter shook his head back and forth, his hands grasping onto the sheet. “S-So big…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop, or you’ll give me complex.” He teased, hoping that Peter would laugh at that. And he did, sort of. It was a half-laugh, half-moan as Tony chose that moment to give a little quick snap of his hips. “Like that, baby….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yes…” Peter nodded his head, as Tony repeated the action again. “Oh, God, that’s so good…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching down, he took one of Peter’s hands and pushed his palm against his, locking their fingers together. He moaned low as Peter squeezed his hand, Tony rolling his hips at a slow pace to get them going. Peter’s inner walls were massaging his cock, spasming around him with every little thrust he took. Pulling his hips back, he left only the tip inside of Peter, and then quickly pushed his hips forward hard. The breathless cry that left Peter’s throat let him know that it was a good move, and so he repeated it again and again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony!!” His name echoed in his room, Peter’s voice sending waves of warmth flooding through his body. “T-Touch me!!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He obeyed like a bitch in heat. His hand went right to Peter’s cock, his other hand still being firmly held by the teen, which he had no problem with. As he made a fist around his cock, he began to snap his hips harder, driving more of his girth into that tight hole that was like a gift from heaven. Tony could hear himself moaning, but was more interested in listening to the unbelievable noises that were coming out of Peter. He felt the tips of his fingers push hard against the back of his own hand, making him groan low. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Peter….” He moaned his name as he felt his cock begin to twitch against the palm of his hand. Glancing down, he watched the tip of Peter’s cock erupt with his orgasm, cum landing on the defined lines of his stomach, his inner walls tightening up around Tony’s cock. He groaned low, pulling Peter through his orgasm before he let himself go, the need to see his lover fall completely apart outweighing his own needs for once. He bucked his hips once, twice, and then on the third time he pushed in as far as Peter’s body would let him and began to come deep inside of him with a deep moan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their hands stayed together as Tony lowered himself down onto Peter’s chest, knowing he wasn’t crushing him with his weight. Still, he tried to keep himself balanced with the hand that was holding Peter’s still, his other hand still touching Peter’s softening cock. He carefully pulled his hand away, only a few drops of cum landing on his fingers as most went on to Peter’s belly, which meant that it was now on his own stomach too. He started to lick his fingers, and then moaned as he felt Peter’s tongue touch his own, the two of them taking turns to swipe at the cum that was stuck to his knuckles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony could feel Peter moving his hips a little, his own cock still somewhat hard. “Should I move….?” He asked, his lips touching the side of Peter’s neck with gentle, tender kisses. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-If you mean out of me….? No.” Peter moaned softly, Tony moving his head to caress his Adam’s apple. “U-Unless it’s uncomfortable…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not.” Tony shook his head, giving his hips a tiny roll. “But if I stay like this, I’m going to wind up being hard again, and then I can’t be held responsible for what I do to you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The deep moan that came out of Peter made him drag his chin along the side of his neck. “P-Please, Tony…..A-Again….? T-Then we eat….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmmm….I suppose I can allow that.” He was happy that Peter was already so enthusiastic about wanting to have sex. <em>Have I created a monster?</em> Not possible. There was no way that his sexual appetite would ever match his own. His always came in waves, but with Ben entering his life, he’d found himself feeling more and more like a teenager, and now that he was physically with one, it seemed appropriate. “But, how about we try something a little different?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“H-H-H-How different?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony touched Peter’s lips with his own, hoping to kiss away the fear he could feel starting to roll off of him. “Not that different. Remember what we did yesterday before going to the park?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“J-Just the tip?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” He nodded his head, as he slowly slipped out of him and guided Peter to lay on his side. “Only this time, we won’t be playing that.” Spooning himself behind Peter’s body, he pushed the tip of his cock back against his loosened hole. “Just lay still, and I’ll take care of you, sweetheart…” His lips touched Peter’s ear, as he slowly pushed into him with a deep groan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s hand touched his thigh, holding him in such a way that had his nails biting into his skin, creating a delicious burn. “T-Tony…..” Peter’s head leaned against his shoulder, as he started to roll his hips a little more. “God, that feels so good…..Y-You’re so deep….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, baby….” He murmured, pushing a little deeper. “It feels nice when it’s all the way inside like this, isn’t it?” Tony could feel Peter squeezing around him every few seconds, making his insides flutter as it felt absolutely perfect. “I love being inside of you…” Having only had it a few times, he knew it wasn’t going to be something he was going to be tired of any time soon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soft moan that hit his ear sent him into overdrive. “I l-l-love how you feel inside of me….” Peter’s lips touched his face, Tony turning towards him to kiss him with open mouth kisses. “God, your cock….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Touch yourself, Peter….” He murmured against his lips, keeping his hand on Peter’s hip as he kept rocking his hips nice and slow. “I want to watch you make yourself come…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking over his shoulder, he saw Peter make a tight fist around his cock. “Hhhngh….” The moans kept spilling past his lips, as Tony began to pick up the pace a little. As far as positions went, this was one of his favorite to have sex. Being able to have his chest pressed up against Peter’s back, their hearts in alignment - it was perfect. His own cock was beginning to throb with the need for release, but he waited. Reaching around, he put his hand on top of Peter’s, and helped jerk him off, the moans coming out of his mouth now at a higher pitch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony…..Tony, I’m so close…..” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, sweetheart….Go ahead and come….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony…..!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He bit down on Peter’s shoulder as he felt his inner walls spasm around his cock. That little spasm pushed him right back over the edge, coming deep inside of Peter with a deep moan. Their hands stayed together as they both breathed hard, Tony trying to catch his breath as he felt Peter sink back against him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A giddy laugh left Peter’s mouth, which made him smile. “Wow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you.” Tony chuckled softly. “I’m glad that’s all you have to say.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just….I don’t know what else to say!” Peter laughed again, Tony groaning as he felt the laugh through the connection of his cock still in his body. With a gentle pull backwards, he slipped his cock out of Peter, and kissed his shoulder. “Awww.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too much laughing.” He teased, as he rolled over to grab the towel they’d used the night before. He was careful to wipe up Peter first, and then began to clean himself up. Dropping it back down, he snuggled up behind Peter, and rested his chin on his shoulder. “Hi.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“H-Hi.” The slight stutter made the smile on his face grow. “How’re you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m pretty damn good. You?” He pulled Peter a little closer to his body, their bodies fitting perfectly together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter turned his head, and brushed his lips against his. “Everything is good.” Peter smiled up at him. “It’s weird laying here naked with you, and the lights are on.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It <em>is</em> weird, isn’t it? Hey, Friday?” He was about to tell her to turn the lights off when Peter’s hand covered his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you need, boss?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He raised his eyebrows, and felt Peter’s hand disappear. “Nothing Friday. Actually, no - that’s not true. Go ahead and brew some coffee for me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, boss.” A fresh pot would be good. He returned his chin to Peter’s shoulder, and held him close. “Yes, everything is good. But now, I’m hungry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A soft laugh tickled his ear. “Guess we’d better fix that, huh, Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve seen me hangry before. It’s not a pretty sight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s not.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But then, you’re naked in my bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you have to go home soon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sad sigh that left Peter’s mouth was almost an identical reaction of his own feelings. “Don’t remind me. That’s not for another six hours, though. Plenty of time to lay here naked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right.” Tony nodded his head, as he slowly got Peter to turn around and face him. “Hi.” He looked into his eyes, happy to see him returning his gaze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s on your mind?” He asked, as he pushed some of the curls off of his forehead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How much I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “Well, good. Because that’s what was on my mind too. How much I love me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The indignation he heard in Peter’s voice made him bark out a laugh. “I’m kidding, Peter. I love you too.” He brought his head closer to his, and kissed him softly. “Let’s figure out what we’re going to eat, before I starve to death.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t starve. We’ve got cookies.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Cookies.” He smirked, and turned over to climb out of bed. But then, Peter’s arms were around him, and pulling him back down, which he gladly submitted to. “You trying to tell me something, sweetheart?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning his head, he brought his lips to Peter’s and kissed him again. “Come on. I’ll carry you out of here if I have to. Look at you - a few tastes of sex, and it’s all you can think about.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?! No!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grinned and slipped out of the bed, picking up his pants off the floor. “You’re adorable, you know that, right? Fuck - I’m going to be miserable without seeing you during the week. How do we change that? We need to change that, because Friday is too long.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not long, boss.” He heard his AI chirp up. He rolled his eyes at her statement, while he listened to Peter laugh as he put his clothes back on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for that, Friday. I know.” He walked out of his bedroom with Peter, the smell of fresh coffee hitting his nostrils. “I mean it, Ben. Is there any way I can see you sometime during the week?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could come by after patrol?” Peter shrugged his shoulders. “I usually patrol in the afternoons on Monday and Wednesday, then evenings on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you’ll be with me on Friday already. So, why don’t you come by one of those nights.” Tony liked the idea of Peter coming to see him after being out as Spiderman.  “I’d like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-Me too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then it’s settled. That’s what we’ll do.” Tony ruffled Peter’s hair, then looked at his phone. “Alright. Breakfast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They chose an area that was nearby, Peter ordering pancakes and bacon, while he ordered a breakfast sandwich with eggs, bacon and cheese. After another quick shower to rinse off, they were getting their actual clothes on to take Peter back home. Tony was in no mood for it, and was trying to keep an upbeat attitude, but after the last forty-eight hours, he wasn’t really ready to say goodbye yet to his young lover. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do we have to go?” He asked, in a pathetic attempt to get Peter to stay one more night with him. “We’ll say something came up, and couldn’t get back into the city until the morning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds, I <em>can’t</em>.” Peter’s head hit his chest, as his arms wrapped around him. “I’ve got some homework I need to do. May is expecting me. We can’t do this now, because what if something does come up in the future that we need to use that excuse? But it won’t be an excuse then, it’ll be reality.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed, and nodded his head. “You’re right. You’re patrolling tonight, yes?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am. Just a few quick rounds. So, before you ask, no - I can’t come back here tonight. I’ll try on Tuesday, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds good to me.” Tony glanced over his shoulder. “Want to go cuddle for a little bit?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to say yes, but I know we shouldn’t. Because if we cuddle, then I’m going to want to have more sex with you, and then that means another shower, which then means more touching, which means more sex, and that-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony put his hand over Peter’s mouth. “Ben, I got it. No cuddles. No sex. We’re dressed. Let’s go downstairs, and I’ll drive you home, okay?” Peter nodded his head, looking up at him with the same sadness he could feel starting to pool in his gut. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. Remember? Everything is good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is good.” Peter nodded his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the elevator ride down, Tony held Peter’s hand, and then opened the car door for him. Since it was Sunday afternoon, there was more traffic so he kept both hands on the wheel, wanting to be sure that Peter was safe. When they pulled up to his apartment, Tony put the car into park and looked at him. “This weekend went a lot better than I thought it would.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Except for my nightmare.” His lover lamented, sighing softly. “I’m not looking forward to being alone tonight, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That makes two of us, sweetheart.” Tony reached over and brought Peter’s hand up to his lips. “You’ll be okay. You know where to find me when you wake up.” He didn’t bother to say ‘if’ because he knew it was going to be like that for the both of them. “We’ll play some chess.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actual chess.” Peter chuckled, nodding his head. “Can’t play sexy games with our chess.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t know that.” He smirked, as he reached behind the car seat and grabbed Peter’s overnight bag for him. “Go upstairs. Be safe patrolling tonight. I’ll talk to you in the early morning hours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you.” His heart swelled as Peter confessed his love to him again. He was <em>never</em> going to get tired of hearing that. “See you soon, Eds.” Peter blew him a kiss and then got out of the car. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you too.” He returned before Peter closed the door, and gave him another smile before he ran up the stairs into his apartment building. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sat in the car for a few minutes, collecting his thoughts. Yes, the weekend had gone better than he thought it would, and was honestly counting down the minutes until he would be able to see Peter again, and have him back in his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Parker - it’s your turn to answer.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked up and saw Mr. Harrington looking right at him. He blinked a few times, not realizing it was already his turn to go up and debate. He’d been zoning out for the past thirty minutes, not at all interested in being here today. It had already been such a long week for him, that he was looking forward to Friday finally being here tomorrow. Well, he was looking forward to tonight as well, but that was for something entirely different. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Right! Sorry!” He pushed his chair back, and walked up to the front of the classroom where they were holding their practice session today. Ned was looking at him, and gave him a big thumb’s up, which he returned discreetly. He looked to his left and saw MJ was standing at the lectern, looking absolutely bored out of her mind. “What is our topic now, Mr. Harrington?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This past week had been an absolute nightmare for him. After returning home on Sunday, he’d gone out to patrol, which had gone well, but had been a late night. He didn’t get back to his apartment until almost midnight, and since he couldn’t sleep right away had jumped onto chat. Tony had asked him if everything was okay, which he had to tell him yes - and apologized for possibly worrying him. They had played a round of chess, and then he’d gone to bed, where his subconscious decided he only needed two hours of sleep before terrorizing him with another awful nightmare about Tony being disappointed in him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had gone on like that for the rest of the week. He had wanted to go see Tony on Tuesday after his late patrol, but he was way too tired to get himself to Manhattan. He’d gone back home and called him, apologizing over and over at how sorry he was that he couldn’t come and see him. Tony had told him he’d rather be safe, and if that meant going home then that was fine. But Peter <em>missed</em> him, and all he wanted to do was crawl into his arms and get some uninterrupted sleep. The nightmares that were plaguing him were starting to really wear on his sanity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if on autopilot, he listened to what they were going to debate, and so he jumped into it on the side of favoring it. He knew it was a long shot as MJ was so much better at doing counter arguments than him, but he didn’t care. The time was ticking away, which was a good thing. He wanted to go home and try and get a quick nap in before having to go out on patrol. He was very tempted to just skip it entirely and head into Manhattan, but then he thought about Happy and his reports to Tony. Not that Tony would care because he knew where Peter was, but to make sure that nothing seemed out of place, he knew he had to do his normal sweep of the neighborhood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Parker - that was a valiant effort, but I’m afraid MJ had a much better argument than you did.” Mr. Harrington awarded the point to MJ, as he knew he would. Peter smiled at MJ, then went back and took his seat next to Ned, who turned towards him with an excited look on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Check it out!” Ned showed him his phone. On it was a breaking news headline that the Avengers had to take care of some sort of attack outside of New York City. Peter’s stomach dropped as he saw the picture on the article was Iron Man, looking like he was taking a hit from some awful creature. “This just happened!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried not to panic, knowing that Tony was fine. <em>Everything is good</em>. He tried to keep himself calm, but it was getting difficult. “Do you think I should go??” He whispered, as Ned knew who he was. “But I won’t get there in time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, dude. Let them handle it. I’m sure it’s fine.” Still, Peter was itching to pull his own cell phone out, afraid of what he might find there. “Don’t worry - the reports are saying the fighting is done, and they’re just doing clean up now. Whoa - look!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A video popped up, showing the fight that Iron Man had been in that they’d taken the still for the article from. Peter watched as he was pushed back, and then saw War Machine throw something at the creature, and then Tony got the final hit. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Iron Man turn and give a little wave, as the video had been captured by someone’s cell phone. Still - it didn’t make him feel good. At all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Mr. Harrington released them for the day, and Peter took off without saying a proper goodbye to his friends. As soon as he was out of school, he grabbed his phone and saw he had a few text messages from ‘IMTS’. “<em>I’m sure you saw the news. I’m fine. Don’t worry. Hope school went well</em>.” The next text brought on a fresh wave of anxiety. “<em>I’m up at the compound, and I’m not sure if I’m heading back into the city tonight. In the Med wing</em>.” Peter felt tears beginning to prick his eyes, as he tried to keep calm as he read the last text message. “<em>Got the all clear. Happy is taking me home. I’m fine. Call me when you get this</em>.” He saw he had another message waiting for him on the app that they used to chat. “<em>I love you, Ben. Please don’t stress. Call me. I promise - everything is good</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He got onto the subway, willing the train to move faster so that he could get back up topside so he could call Tony. He <em>definitely</em> would not be patrolling today, but would put on his suit and just head over to Manhattan. He still had homework to do, but he could do it later tonight. Rushing up the stairs, he put his phone to his ear and hit the button to call Tony. He heard only a half of a ring when Tony’s voice came through the speaker. “Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please tell me you’re okay.” He started to cry, hating how he could hear how tired Tony sounded. “You’re okay, right?? I saw the video, and that looked awful. Please tell me the truth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m okay.” He heard Tony take a deep breath, which made his eyes leak more. “I’m okay, sweetheart. Don’t worry. You know I can take a licking. I’m not too damaged.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’re hurt!” Peter started to walk up the stairs to his apartment building. “They wanted to keep you there, didn’t they?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Shaking his head, he started to climb up the seven flights of stairs. “You should have stayed. What if you’re seriously hurt?? You guys need to be more-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben!” That got him to stop talking as he leaned his forehead against his front door, holding the phone tight against the side of his head. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises. No big deal. I’ve had worse, trust me. Remember - my house fell on me like I was the Wicked Witch of the East.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew he was supposed to laugh, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “I know you’re fine, Eds. But I can be worried, can’t I? I hated seeing that on my friend’s phone. I couldn’t look at my phone until I left school because I didn’t want to know. I couldn’t break down there.” He whispered, as he turned the key and entered his apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweetheart - you have to understand that sometimes shit is going to happen. I’m going to make some bad calls. Like today. But I’m alive, and it doesn’t matter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking around the apartment, he saw that May’s purse wasn’t there, which helped him relax a little as he spoke. “You say things like that, and that doesn’t help. I hope you know that because of this, I’m probably going to have new nightmares. Seeing you get pushed around like that?” He felt like he was going to be sick. “Eds, you really need to be more careful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hear what you’re saying, I <em>do</em>, but sometimes we act faster than we can do that. So please - I’m begging you, I’m good. Everything is good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dropped his bag on the floor of his bedroom, and sat down on the edge of the bed. “If you say so.” Trying hard to keep his cool, he wiped at his eyes with his hand. “Look, I’ve got to get some homework done before I go out and patrol.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you coming by tonight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ache in his chest grew as he could hear the change in Tony’s inflection. “I want to, but I’m scared. You should rest. Get well. Are we going out to the compound this weekend?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the plan, but it all depends on how I feel. Because I want to make sure I’m back in top shape if we’re going to do training exercises together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Falling backwards on the bed, he looked up at the ceiling and exhaled a sigh. “You have to be more careful, Tony. You’re the responsible one of the team. You can’t just jump first, and then hope for the best.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s always worked in the past.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, because you didn’t care about stuff. Are you telling me that you don’t care about how this would affect me? How it would make me feel?” Peter tried not to sound like a brat, but all he could see was Tony being tossed around over and over in his mind. “Did Ms. Potts hate it when you got hurt?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The long sigh that came through the speaker let him know that his feelings weren’t out of line. “That’s one of the major reasons why we broke up. She hated it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just because I’m also a superhero doesn’t mean you get a pass for being reckless.” Peter sniffled, trying not to cry anymore. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’m happy you’re at home, and that you’re okay. I need to do my homework.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two tears fell from both of his eyes, closing them to fight crying more. “I love you too, Tony. I’ll see you later.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Promise, Ben?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Swallowing thickly, he nodded his head. “As you wish.” He moved his thumb and ended the call. He’d seen Tony in battle plenty of times before - he couldn’t count how many videos he’d watched of Iron Man fighting enemies, but now - now it was different. Was it a good difference? He didn’t know. But he was scared that what happened today was going to plague his dreams tonight, and that wasn’t something he was really looking forward to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took maximum effort to concentrate on his homework, his fingers itching to go and check his phone, or go to the chat program he used to speak to Tony on. But he somehow got through all of it before seven, which was a feat in and of itself. Walking to the kitchen, he grabbed some leftover Thai from the fridge and began to eat the noodles cold, too lazy to put them into the microwave. He polished them off, and then dumped some curry and rice onto a plate, taking the time to nuke these items. Once his belly was full, he wrote a note to May and left it on the fridge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>I’m sure you saw there was some trouble this afternoon. Everyone’s fine, but I’ve been asked to go to the compound tonight. Happy will take me to school in the morning. I’ll call you when I get there so you know I’m safe. See you on Sunday, Aunt May</em>.” He went back to his bedroom and packed a bag, making sure he had clothes for school tomorrow, as well as for the rest of the weekend he was spending with Tony. He hated lying to her, but there was no way he was going to be alone tonight. And there was no way he was going to let Tony be alone tonight either. They were going to have to deal with this together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wearing his Spiderman suit, he began to swing through New York, the bags on his back feeling heavy. He made his way through the borough, then wound up in Manhattan, the tower looming large in the distance. He should be patrolling, but with everything that was on him, he didn’t want to accidentally lose anything like he’d done so often in the past. He got to the garage, and went to Tony’s private elevator, taking off his mask so that he could be scanned, the elevator opening up for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The elevator opened, and he saw Tony standing there with a shiner on his left eye, and a terrible cut across his nose. “Now, it looks a lot worse than it is.” Tony greeted him, a weak smile on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds.” He tore off his mask, dropped his bags to the floor and walked over to where he was. He heard him grunt as he fell into his arms, hugging him a little bit harder than he normally would, and instantly backed off. “S-Sorry. I just…..God, <em>Tony</em>….” He buried his face against the older man’s chest, the tears coming back with a vengeance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh….” The touch of Tony’s hand to the back of his head helped relax him. “I’m okay, sweetheart. I told you - shit happens. You can’t worry, okay? There’s going to be times when I’m going to get hurt. <em>You</em> could get hurt.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter clung to him, being careful to not use too much strength for fear of hurting him again. “I know, but this is the first time since we…..you know.” It was a weak excuse, but he felt it was a valid one. “I don’t like knowing you’re getting hurt without me around.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, sweetheart. I know.” The fingers in his hair gave a gentle tug, Peter molding himself more against Tony’s body. “This is going to be a weird transition for us, I have to agree with that. But we’ll be okay. It’s not like we haven’t fought against villains before. We’ll do it again, because that’s who we are.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head, sniffling softly. “I know. It’s just….it’s different now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is.” Peter looked up at Tony, trying not to stare at the green and purple bruise surrounding his eye. “It’s really nice to see you, though. I wasn’t expecting you for another hour or two.” His fingers combed through Peter’s hair, as he continued to stare up at him, melting into the touch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I haven’t gone out yet. I wanted to see you.” Looking over at his bags, he returned his head to Tony’s shoulder as he felt his arms wrap around him in a protective embrace. “I lied to May and said I was going to the compound tonight.” He spoke quickly, hoping that Tony wouldn’t be upset with him. “I said that Happy would take me to school in the morning, so she wouldn’t worry that I was ditching. C-Can he do that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The weight of Tony’s chin on top of his head made him curl his fingers against his back. “Of course he can. But Ben-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Eds. You’re not sleeping alone tonight after that attack. And frankly, I don’t want to sleep alone myself. We could easily stay up all night and play games and chat online, but I needed to see you.” He held firm, hoping that he wasn’t about to get a lecture from him. “Don’t tell me you don’t want me here because I know you do. We were up until what time this morning?” He balked as he put two and two together. “That’s why you got hurt today, wasn’t it? Because we were up so late.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had been up for most of the night the previous night. Peter had gone to bed around ten, and had woken up at 1 from a nightmare unable to go to sleep. Tony had already been online, and told him that he hadn’t slept since the day before. They’d played chess online, talking through their chat as neither of them could fall back asleep. And that tiredness had caused Tony to make some dumb calls today against those attackers. Peter <em>hated</em> himself knowing that he was part of the problem. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s hands touched his face, forcing him to look up at him. “You had <em>nothing</em> to do with that, Peter. You know that my insomnia is bad. It’s been bad for <em>years</em>. You weren’t forcing me to stay awake with you. Did I have fun talking to you for most of the night? Yes. Do I regret it? No.” Tony shook his head. “What I do regret is making poor choices in that fight we had to engage in this afternoon. But I’m <em>fine</em>. Please, you have to believe me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” Peter nodded his head. “I know you’re fine, but I can be upset. I know it’s not my fault that you were awake, but knowing I helped impact that tiredness? That really sucks, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would have been awake regardless if you were there or not.” Tony reminded him, his thumbs now gently stroking both of his cheeks, causing his eyelids to fall closed. “You help keep me sane in ways that I don’t have otherwise, so please - listen to what I’m saying.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am.” He whispered. “Would you rather I go home tonight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” The answer was quick, and it made his stomach roll in a pleasant manner. “I <em>always</em> want you with me, Peter. I wish I could have seen you on Tuesday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. I’m sorry. I really wanted to see you too.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to go patrol now? Come back afterwards?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that he was in Tony’s arms, he really didn’t want to be out of them again. “If I say no, are you going to think less of me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at all.” Tony stepped away from him. “Why don’t you go put your things in the guest room, and change into something more comfortable. Unless you prefer to be Spiderman right now.” The smirk on Tony’s face made his heart pound hard in his chest. “I’m game for a little role play, if you want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“E-Eds, no.” He shook his head, laughing softly as he walked over to where his bags were and picked them up. “Yeah, let me go change. I ate food, but I wouldn’t say no to something to munch on, if you’ve got any sort of snack food laying around.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure I could fix us something. Go, get changed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter walked across the penthouse to the guest room - really, it was becoming more his room than anything else at this point, but he didn’t think he had the right to call it his room. Closing the door, he dropped both his school bag and overnight bag on the bed and peeled off his Spiderman outfit. Standing in his boxers, he grabbed his pair of pajama pants and a shirt, throwing them on quick. He fixed his hair, then went back out to the living room, where he could smell fresh popcorn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That smells amazing, Eds.” He commented, and saw Tony grab a soda from the fridge. “Do you have anything sweet to eat with it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your appetite is unbelievable, Ben.” Hearing Tony tease him made him feel better, as it didn’t feel so serious anymore. “And yes, I do. I still have cookies.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gross - those are probably so stale by now.” Peter made a face. “What about chocolate? Got some M&amp;Ms laying around?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your sweet tooth is going to kill me, isn’t it?” Tony walked over to one of his cupboards, and pulled out a large tub of M&amp;Ms. “I’m only pouring you a little.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” A little was better than none in his opinion. “You really keep everything in your kitchen, don’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The other members of the Avengers have terrible snacking habits, so yes. I’ve taken care to make sure I’ve got certain items always on hand.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter went and sat down on the couch, figuring Tony might be more comfortable on that than sitting at the dining room table with him. He watched him put the M&amp;Ms bowl on top of the popcorn, and then walked over to the couch to join him. He saw Tony wince as he sat down, his stomach dropping as he knew that meant Tony was hurt in other places that he couldn’t see with his naked eye. He took the can of soda from him and set it down on the coffee table, then grabbed the M&amp;Ms before they spilled and put them next to the soda. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jumping up, he looked down at Tony and saw that the wince was still very much present on his face. “Do you want some coffee?” He would have offered to grab him something stronger but he wasn’t sure if the doctors at the compound had put him on any drugs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m okay for now. Maybe some water, since you’re up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Got it.” He went over to the kitchen and grabbed a glass for Tony. Pouring some water from the fridge, Peter went back over to the couch and handed it to him. As Tony reached for it, he saw him wince again. “You’re hurt on your chest, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement, and he saw Tony look away as he spoke to him. “Eds…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony let out a frustrated sigh. “You know, sometimes you’re too smart for your own good, Ben. I’m fine. I’m telling you I’m fine. You’ve got to believe me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can see you wincing, Tony.” Peter called him by his real name, getting his lover’s attention immediately. “Don’t lie to me. Or, were you hoping we’d go to bed tonight without me touching your body when you know I’m a hormonal teenager that only just had the slightest taste for sex.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Tony lean his head back against the couch. “You’re right. I’m hurt on my chest, but it’s <em>fine</em>. It’s nothing new. The suit took most of the damage, but remember - there’s a guy wearing it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How long is going to take you to heal?” Tony wouldn’t look at him again. “Tony, how long?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A week. Maybe two. Again, part of the perks of being Iron Man.” He looked into Tony’s eyes, and saw him give a small shrug of his shoulders. “It comes with the territory, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you think I’m going to take that for an answer, you’re wrong.” Peter turned away from him, and grabbed the M&amp;Ms off the table. He threw a bunch into his mouth and chewed fast. “I know it comes with the job, but do you know what doesn’t? Lying to me about the extent of your injuries.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right.” Peter could feel his temper rising, and was having a difficult time keeping it in check. “You <em>didn’t</em> lie to me, but you also didn’t give me the complete truth either. And that <em>hurts</em>, Tony. We’re supposed to be on the same side. I want to know when you get hurt. First hand, if at all possible, but I know that might be asking a lot since I’m at school during the weekdays.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s hand touched his thigh, Peter keeping his head forward, staring at the wall. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have withheld that information from you. That was an honest mistake. I’m used to Pepper being worried, and knowing that that’s all she was with me. But you - I have to remember that you’re not her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right, I’m not.” He could feel the tears threatening to come back to his eyes, as he tried to blink fast to make them not fall. “She and I are very different. For one thing - I’m Spiderman. So if anyone is going to understand what it means to take a fall, and be hurt - it’s going to be <em>me</em>. So you <em>have</em> to talk to me, Tony. Don’t keep me in the dark about these things. That isn’t fair.” Peter got up and moved to sit on Tony’s lap, hoping he wasn’t hurting any of the injuries that he had by doing so. “Things are different now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They are.” Tony’s voice filled his ear as he was pulled to be against his chest. “How did I get so lucky to have someone care for me so much?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He blinked back more tears as he heard the heartfelt emotion in Tony’s voice. “Some would say that I’m an idiot for caring about you this much.” He pressed his face against Tony’s neck, taking care to hug him with limited strength. “All I wanted to do this week was spend time with you. Maybe have a little sex. Why did this have to happen?” He tried not to be miserable, but it was difficult. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Honey, if I knew that, there would be no need for Iron Man, or Spiderman, or any of the Avengers.” Fingers started to comb through his hair, his breath slowing down as he let his lover calm him down. “The world isn’t fair. But you’re right - I need to be more honest with you when things like this come up. No more half-truths.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you <em>were</em> hiding the extent of your injuries from me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only because I didn’t think it mattered, but I can clearly see that that is not the case.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter lifted his head, and stared up into Tony’s eyes, hating that the bruise was darkening. “You’re right. It’s not. What I said to you earlier today still stands - I’m scared I’m going to have a nightmare about this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not the only one, sweetheart.” The fingers that had been touching his hair were now resting comfortably against his cheek, Peter turning his head towards the touch. He kissed Tony’s palm, sighing softly. “But hey - you said you’re spending the night, so maybe we won’t have to worry about that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m also in a heightened anxious state. We know what happened the last time I got like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lips started to touch the side of his face, Peter’s eyelids fluttering closed as Tony began to leave more kisses along his jawline. “I know the perfect thing to make that anxiety go away. But it would require a room change.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The popcorn and candy….” He mumbled softly, turning his head to find Tony’s lips with his own. He moaned softly as they began to kiss each other, Peter being extra careful to not jostle Tony too much for fear he’d accidentally hurt one of his new injuries. “Are you sure? I don’t want to do anything if you’re seriously hurt…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When was the last time I saw you?” Tony spoke low into his ear, Peter biting his lip as he felt Tony’s hands slide down his sides and come to rest on his ass. “It’s been four days, sweetheart….I think I’ll be okay.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head, and with one last kiss to his lips, Peter took himself off of Tony’s lap and stood up. “B-Bedroom.” He waited for Tony to stand up, ignoring the wince he saw as he lifted himself off the couch, and reached for his hand. They walked to the bedroom together, the smell of popcorn lingering in the air. He hated to waste food, but the idea of getting to have some fun with Tony outweighed that disappointment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday. Lights-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On.” Peter shook his head. “Please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You heard him. Keep them on for the moment.” The smile on Tony’s face brought heat to his cheeks as he returned it in kind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sat on the edge of the bed, spreading his legs so that Tony could slot himself between them. His hands touched the hem of his shirt, and he saw him give him a look. “I want to see how bad they are.” Peter whispered, preparing himself for seeing the bruises he knew would be covering Tony’s body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t like them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” He moved himself back on the bed, kneeling on it now so he could be closer in height to Tony. “Stand still, please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It helped relieve some of the tension that was happening between the two of them as he heard Tony confess his love again for him. Peter took the hem of his shirt and pulled it up towards his chest, gasping softly as he saw the welts on Tony’s torso and sternum. Deep purple bruises covered the left side, while little dots of green and purple were on his right. Peter brought his lips to the darkest bruise and kissed it softly. He heard Tony groan in pain at the initial touch, but then heard it turn to a soft moan as he kept covering the bruise with light kisses. He did that for each one, then helped Tony get his shirt off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Turn around.” He asked, feeling slightly nervous about the bruising he knew he was going to find there. He saw Tony get slammed against a concrete wall. That would hurt anyone - except maybe the Hulk but he wasn’t around right now to take those kinds of hits. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweetheart….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A soft sigh left Tony’s mouth as he did as he asked, and Peter felt his heart drop. The bruises looked worse on his back, which Peter <em>hated</em>. He knew his own body could withstand these kinds of blows - sure, his body would probably look the same as Tony’s, but his would only last for a day. His spider abilities had their perks, as well as their drawbacks. But Tony - these bruises were going to be around for a bit, and not because of his age. Because they were that bad. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just like he did before, he began to kiss each bruise with soft, delicate kisses. If he’d been told three weeks ago that he would be doing something like this with Tony Stark, he would have laughed and told the person they were insane. But the more he kissed his bruises, the more love he felt for this man that had completely changed his world. He helped Tony onto the bed, and then took his own shirt off, incredibly pale in comparison to Tony’s body, especially with its colorful bruises. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday.” Peter nodded his head, as he saw Tony move towards him, the look in his eyes one he had become familiar with the previous weekend. “Lights.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room became robed in darkness, Peter moaning as he felt Tony’s hands touch his body in a way he’d been thinking about all week. “D-Don’t hurt yourself…”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t, sweetheart…” Tony’s beard scratched against his chest, as he felt his lips taking their own path down towards his hips. “God, you’re so good for me, you know that….? So worried about me. Makes my heart ache knowing how much you care about me….”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you.” Peter whispered as cool breath touched the tip of his cock. “I can’t help it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A soft kiss touched the tip of his cock, which was followed by a low moan. “I know you do, baby. And I love you too. So much.” The touch of Tony’s lips against his own surprised him, not at all expecting him to be up back by his head so quickly. He moaned into the kiss, wrapping one arm around his neck as he felt his calloused hand touch his cock. “I don’t deserve you, or your love….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, you do.” He moaned softly, as the hand on his cock started to pump up and down. “T-Tony….”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Peter….” He tilted his head to the side, as Tony began to kiss a path back down his body. “Time for a little fun, what do you say….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please.” Peter spread his legs wide as he felt that cool breath touch his cock again. His fingers pushed through short strands of hair, Tony’s mouth engulfing his cock with one quick swallow. He lifted his hips up off the bed, pushing himself into Tony’s mouth with a deep moan. “Oh, God…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wet heat of his mouth was enough to put Peter right on the edge. The need to hump his mouth was one he was struggling to hold off, because he didn’t want to seem too eager. But it had been a long week - and as nice as it was to masturbate, having Tony’s mouth back around his cock was really scratching an itch he hadn’t realized he was neglecting. And as he felt Tony’s fingers touch his ass, he felt him pull him closer, letting him know that it was okay to do what he wanted. Two fingers teased his hole as he began to push more of himself into Tony’s mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A deep moan tickled his sensitive cock, Peter’s head tossing back as he felt himself start to come hard. Tony’s mouth kept sucking on him, keeping him in this pleasurable limbo that made his body go numb. He loosened the grip he had on his hair as he panted through the after effects of his orgasm, his hands falling to his sides as he stared down at his lover, who had a pleased smirk on his lips. “W-What…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been missing that.” Tony nudged his nose against his oversensitive cock, making him moan softly. “Want more, sweetheart?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you.” He put one hand on Tony’s shoulder, but let him go at his own pace to be back up beside him, as he didn’t want to hurt him. “Will you have Friday turn the lights back on?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony sigh. “Friday - lights back on to forty percent, please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room was lit in a soft glow, giving Peter enough light to look at the bruises again, this time at a better angle. “Can I offer the same back to you?” He asked, as he started to gently kiss the awful purple bruises on Tony’s left side, taking the utmost care to be gentle with his lips. “Or should we get me ready?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So many options.” He heard Tony groan, hoping that it was a good groan and not a painful one. “Keep kissing me, and I’ll get you ready. How’s that sound, Peter?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head, as he kissed the green bruises. He could hear Tony’s breathing change as he slid his way down towards his stomach. The sound of a cap being opened sent a shiver down his body, his eyes closing as he followed the path down towards his prize. He whined low as a wet finger started to touch his anus, trying to keep himself relaxed as it had been a few days since they’d last done anything like this. He knew Tony would get his body to behave for him if he was doing something else, so he brought his lips down to the tip of his cock and began to suck directly on the head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus, your mouth is so perfect….” Hearing Tony’s praises always made him feel warm, Peter responding to the words by pushing his lips back down to the base of his cock. “Did I tell you I’ve missed you? Because, <em>God</em>, I have….I’m so glad you’re here right now, baby….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter groaned, pushing his hips back as Tony inched another finger into his body. He wanted to feel his cock inside of him, but he knew he had to be patient. Even though his body healed fast, it was also getting used to these new touches faster than he expected, Tony’s fingers working their own brand of magic on his body. Peter bobbed his head slow, not wanting to make Tony come yet, afraid that if he did then it would be over. He knew he’d had a long, exhausting day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bursts of precum coated his tongue, Peter swallowing with a keening moan as Tony pushed against his prostate. “D-Don’t make me come….” He begged, pulling his mouth off of his cock with a soft <em>pop</em>. “I want you to be in me when I do…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think you can handle it now? Or should I keep doing what I’m doing?” He could hear the strain in Tony’s voice, words dripping with lust as he pushed a third finger into his body. Peter laid his head on Tony’s thigh, moaning more as he felt his fingers spread him wide open. “Talk to me, sweetheart…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m good….” Peter nodded his head, the ache to feel his cock pushing him to lick it more. “W-Where’s the lube…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right here.” The bottle was handed to him. He grunted as the three fingers disappeared from inside of him, leaving him feeling empty. He knew that feeling would be gone soon, though. Pouring some lube onto his hand, he started to get Tony’s cock ready for him, the viscous liquid mixing with the spit he’d left behind on his cock. “That’s it, sweetheart. Get me nice and wet for that pretty little hole of yours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His cheeks burned with the comments, not at all ready for Tony to speak to him like that. His body responded to it though, as heat rushed through his body. “D-Do you like my hole, Tony….?” He asked, hoping he didn’t sound as shy as he felt by addressing what he’d just said. It was something new, and somewhat exciting, but was afraid that he was still too green when it came to this kind of talking. But hopefully Tony wouldn’t laugh at him for his question, otherwise he might die of mortification. These thoughts swirled through his head as he slowly worked his hand up and down his lover’s cock, bringing the pad of his thumb to the tip to tease the weeping slit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I <em>love</em> it, baby….” Tony’s hands touched his hips, and pulled him up. “Ask me again…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“D-Do you like my hole….?” Peter whispered, as he soon straddled Tony’s hips. With the lights still on, he could see the way Tony stared up at him, his breath catching in his throat as he saw the most gorgeous expression on his face. “Do you love it….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to be in it right now.” He pushed himself backwards, teasing himself with the tip of Tony’s cock as he sat up on his knees. “Be a good boy for me, sweetheart…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He groaned, carefully putting his hands on Tony’s chest, not wanting to push against the bruises but he had nowhere else to put his hands. “Mmmm….” He felt the tip breech him, and slowly began to lower himself down onto his girthy cock. “Oh, <em>God</em>, Tony….” His head dropped forward as heat flooded his entire body at the accidental quick penetration. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s good, Peter….” The fingers on his hips held him in a loose grip, giving him enough leeway to do as he wanted. “God, you look so amazing right now…..” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Putting his hands on Tony’s thighs, he arched his back and pushed himself down onto his cock more. His head began to spin as each little bounce on his lap was hitting him right against that spot that gave him total pleasure. “T-Tony…..” He moaned louder, having forgotten how good it felt to be connected this way. All the worry from earlier in the day slipped out of his head as he focused completely on Tony, and how his cock was stretching his body in a way that his fingers couldn’t. That burn was slowly slipping away and turning into molten heat that he couldn’t ignore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“F-Faster, sweetheart….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That little hitch in Tony’s voice made Peter caterwaul. He <em>loved</em> hearing Tony lose it like that, because it let him know he was doing something really special. “T-Touch me, Tony….” He begged, his cock flopping up and down with every bounce he took on his lap. “I w-want to come again….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything for you, baby….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The heat of Tony’s palm against his cock made him shift his position on his lap, one hand now on his shoulder while the other was still on his thigh. Every time he dropped down onto Tony’s cock, all Peter could do was whine and moan. It was like his body was caught in a fingertrap, where he was being pushed and pulled at the same time, both sides equally as pleasurable. He wanted to scream, to cry - it was an overwhelming feeling and he wasn’t sure how to process it. All he knew was that he was feeling good, and wanted to stay in this euphoria for as long as possible. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter…..” Tony’s voice surrounded him, letting him know that it was feeling good for him too. “Yes, sweetheart….” He whined in his throat, desperate to come, but couldn’t. He was teetering on the edge with no relief in sight, but then - then, Tony’s thumb began to tease the tip of his cock as he pushed his hips down hard. “<em>Fuck</em>….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His orgasm hit hard, his head tossing back, his throat burning from the noise he was currently producing as a result of his fall. Tony’s voice was muddled, but he could hear him praise him more, which only increased his pleasure. Warm heat began to flood his insides as he felt Tony come deep inside of him, his head dropping forward with a deep, satisfied moan at feeling so full. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took him a few seconds to come back into his head, blinking a few times to get his vision back. “W-Wow.” He looked down at Tony, and saw him smiling. “T-That was intense…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It sure was.” The hand that had been on his cock was now up by Tony’s mouth, Peter groaning softly as he saw him lick up his mess. “I hate to ask you this, but tonight - would you mind getting the towel and doing the necessary stuff?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-Sure, Tony.” Peter smiled, and nodded his head. He could definitely do that. “We can turn the lights off again?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday? You heard him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Understood, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the lights were back off, Peter carefully lifted himself up and off of Tony’s softening cock, and slipped off the bed. He could feel the evidence of Tony’s orgasm running down his inner thigh, so he picked up his pace to get to the bathroom faster. Once in there, he took care to clean himself up without Tony’s assistance, then took a damp towel as well as a clean towel to take care of him. Sitting on the bed, he was about to do it when Tony took the washcloth from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can do it, sweetheart.” Even in the dark, he could see the smile on his face. “DId you take care of yourself already?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did.” Peter nodded, and then laid next to him. He gave Tony a little privacy as he got himself cleaned up, then once he was finished was finding a comfortable position in his arms. “I’m not hurting you, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sore, but trust me when I say that that has nothing to do with you.” Tony’s lips touched his with a soft kiss, making him moan softly. “You know I love you, right? I’m really happy you’re here tonight, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m happy I’m here too.” He smiled, and kissed him again on the lips. “I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t know how happy it makes me every time you tell me that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I’ve got a pretty good idea.” Tucking himself against Tony’s body, he yawned softly. “I really hope that we don’t have any nightmares tonight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re here with me. That’s all I need to keep them away.” The words were murmured into his ear before a kiss touched his temple. “I’m really sorry that I worried you today, Peter. I’ll try and remember when it happens again in the future.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t bother to correct him because he knew Tony was right. They were going to be in fights where they got hurt - it was just part of the job. “I’ll try and not be upset when it happens. But you have to do the same for me, because you know that even though I’ve got super healing abilities, I still can get hurt.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, sweetheart. You take care of me, and I’ll take care of you, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nuzzling the side of his neck, Peter nodded his head. “Everything is good.” He whispered, clinging to Tony’s body. “Night, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s right. Good night, Peter.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>The sound of his own voice roused Tony from sleep, the sound confusing him. <em>What is that?</em> He heard himself repeat over and over “Time to get up.” which in and of itself should be weird, because he doesn’t remember setting an alarm to make that sort of noise. His alarm was usually Friday, or sometimes if he wanted to switch it up he’d ask her to wake him up with a song, assuming he didn’t wake up from a nightmare first. But hearing his own voice was throwing him for a loop, until he felt something shift in his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking down, he saw that Peter was sleeping with him. <em>Right</em>. Memories of the night before came rushing back as he held Peter a little closer than he had been a second ago. He heard him grumble softly, and then slowly realized that it was Peter’s phone that was projecting his voice as an alarm. That brought a smirk to his lips, never having heard Peter’s phone alarm before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweetheart.” He whispered, brushing his lips against the side of Peter’s face as he tried to turn away from him. “Your phone is going off.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That made Peter’s eyes snap open, as he looked up at him with worry in his eyes. “Oh, shit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Tony teased, knowing that Peter was having a minor freak out given that his voice was <em>still</em> continuing to encourage Peter to get up. The warmth in his arms disappeared as Peter rolled over and grabbed his phone off where it was resting on his nightstand, Tony chuckling softly. “When did I say that to you?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was a long time ago.” Peter wasn’t looking at him, instead keeping his head down as he moved back across the bed to curl back up in his arms. “Don’t make fun of me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would never.” He put his arms back around him, and felt him tuck his head back against his neck. “You should have told me. I can record a few new sayings if you want.” It was endearing that Peter used his own voice to wake him up like that. “May I ask you a question?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You just did.” A soft yawn made him yawn in return. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha ha.” Resting his cheek on the top of Peter’s head, Tony waited a few moments before speaking again. “How long has that been your alarm?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could physically feel the heat radiating off of Peter’s face as he pushed it against his neck. “I don’t know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, you do.” Tony couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as Peter kept himself tucked against his neck. “Don’t be embarrassed about it. I love it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can be embarrassed, Eds.” Ah, there it was. So it was going to be easier for him if they reverted back to those names. “Why should I tell you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I’m asking you nicely, Ben. And I’m not trying to tease you.” That got Peter to look up at him with narrowed eyes. “Okay, maybe I am a little. But only because I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No fair.” His lover dropped his head back against his shoulder and sighed. “It’s been like that for the last eight months.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyebrow rose up at the admission. “Oh. That’s surprising.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? Because I like to wake up to your voice? I know if I don’t get up, you’ll kick my ass.” The heat returned to the side of his neck, as Peter’s muffled voice was somewhat difficult to understand. “But don’t worry - I don’t hear it that often.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That didn’t surprise him, considering how they met one another. “I understand.” Tony put his hand on the back of Peter’s head, and carefully guided him to look up at him. “I think it’s really sweet that you have my voice as your alarm. At least I don’t sound angry?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t.” Peter met his gaze, a shy smile on his face. “It’s not creepy, right? Because that’s really why I’m embarrassed right now. I had been recording you one day, and had accidentally nodded off, which is where I got the clip from.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Clever.” He returned Peter’s smile, and shook his head. “It’s not creepy at all. I’m very flattered.” Lowering his head, he gave Peter a quick kiss on the lips. “Morning, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morning.” Tony smiled as Peter’s smile grew on his lips. “Guess we slept through the night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It would appear that way.” Tony looked over at the window, the sky beginning to wake up for the new day. “Friday - text Happy and let him know that I need him to be here at seven.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter sighed. “Right. I have to go to school.” A hand touched his chest, Tony grunting as the bruises had become rather tender during the night. “Please tell me you’re going to stay home today.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me? Stay home? I don’t understand that concept.” He knew it would probably be beneficial if he did, considering what he went through the day before. And the look of annoyance in Peter’s eyes knew that maybe he should have chosen different words than what he did, because he immediately felt a pang of guilt. “Sorry, Ben.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m serious, Eds. Please don’t go in today. Or, work remotely, or whatever.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony didn’t like hearing Peter sound so upset, when he knew he was the direct cause of said upset. “I’ll do my best.” He would. He could remember those days when Pepper had asked him the same thing, and he would defy her wishes, but now? Now he knew better, and knew that maybe he should listen to what Peter is asking instead of trying to burn the candle at both ends. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s better than saying no.” The look of relief on Peter’s face let him know he was making the right decision. “I need to go shower and put some clothes on. And breakfast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can take care of one of those.” Tony sat up with him, wincing as he looked down at his chest. “This looks a lot worse than it is.” He saw Peter staring at him, and felt the need to cover himself up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It looks pretty awful.” Peter’s hand hovered near the darkest bruise, but then didn’t touch it. Which had Tony sighing with relief. As much as he enjoyed a little pain every now and then, this wasn’t the way he wanted to introduce that to Peter. “How long is it going to hurt for?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good question. Maybe another day? Two?” He stood up from the bed and stretched, groaning as his muscles protested at being used in such a way. “I’m not lucky like you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t call being bitten by a radioactive spider luck, but I get what you’re saying.” Peter didn’t bother to put any clothes on, which made Tony wish he could pull him back into the bed with him. “I’ll go use my bathroom to shower?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you care for some company?” Tony couldn’t not offer, even though he knew it was early and really - there wasn’t a lot of time to mess around right now. Not when Peter had to go to school. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smile on his lover’s face made warmth appear in his chest. “No, because you and I both know that we’ll do things we don’t have time for. Make me breakfast, though?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish.” That brought an even larger smile to Peter’s face, which caused his stomach to flip flop. He waited for Peter to walk out of the room naked, and then pulled his own underwear and lounge pants back on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The strong smell of coffee hit him as soon as he left his bedroom, thankful that Friday had already taken care of brewing some for him. Trudging across the living room, he went into the kitchen and poured himself a cup, taking a few minutes to just savor the warmth that the steaming cup of coffee provided to his hands. The sun was slowly rising up over the Hudson, Manhattan beginning to sparkle. Although the bruises on his body hurt, he felt more rested than he had for most of the week, thanks to having Peter stay the night last night. It was remarkable how well he slept with him so close to his body. After what had happened yesterday out on the field, he’d mentally prepared himself to be woken up by a night terror, but luckily nothing like that had happened. Or, if it did, it was so minor that his subconscious hadn’t bothered to alert him to it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grabbing some toaster strudels from the freezer, he walked over to his toaster oven and threw two in to get them heated up. By the time the second batch was done, Peter was walking back out, his hair damp and looking like a million dollars to him. Tony could see he had a shy smile on his face, making him wonder why. “Everything okay, Ben?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything’s perfect, Eds.” Peter walked over to him, and put his arms around his neck. “May I have a real kiss now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He groaned softly, and lowered his head down to him. “You may.” Tony carefully pushed his lips onto Peter’s, moaning softly as they began to kiss each other with slow, sure kisses. He could taste the toothpaste on Peter’s tongue, while he knew his own had the bitter taste of coffee. But it didn’t seem like Peter minded too much, as he moaned softly into his mouth. His hands slid down to Peter’s ass, grabbing a handful as he carefully pushed him back against the counter. The noise that Peter made went straight to his cock, the need to be physical with him again becoming something that was difficult to ignore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, I wish you could just stay with me all day.” Tony murmured against his lips, both slightly out of breath after that passionate kiss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish I could too.” Peter’s forehead rested against his own, as they both breathed in each other’s spaces. “But I’ve got to go to school. I’ve got two tests today. You’ll pick me up at three, though, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will.” He nodded his head. “Do you want to come back here tonight? Or do you want to head out to the compound?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If your injuries are still hurting, I’d prefer if we stayed here this weekend. Would that be okay, Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony smiled, pleased to hear Peter being more confident with his words. “I think that would probably be best. I don’t think I want to go up there myself. We could spend another lazy weekend here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that sounds good. Since no Broadway tonight, right?” Peter asked, as Tony grabbed the toaster strudel and put them on a plate for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He handed him the plate, and grabbed his own. “That’s right. But, we could watch a movie here? You know I’ve got all the latest films, even the ones that are currently in the theater.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No need to show off, Eds.” The teasing tone in Peter’s voice made him laugh as they walked over to the dining room table together. “But yeah, that sounds good. I should probably patrol tonight too, since I didn’t go out last night. Wouldn’t want Happy to be upset.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He knows you were here last night, so I think he would understand.” Tony picked up his strudel, and saw Peter’s face pale. “What? What’s wrong?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He knows. Right. He’s taking me to school. Oh, God.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, why are you panicking? Remember - I told you before, Happy knows when to not talk about certain things.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that mean he knows that you and I are in a relationship?!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hysteria he could hear in Peter’s voice had Tony putting down his food and was now reaching for himself. Pulling Peter to sit on his lap, he looked up at him. “Ben, relax. No, he doesn’t. No one does. Only you and I know about what we are to each other. But it’s not like you haven’t spent the night here before.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know! But it’s different!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not.” Tony shook his head. “It’s exactly the same as it was before. Happy has no idea. Sure, he knows that we went out last weekend, but that was me treating you to a fun night out for your hard work on your internship.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That seemed to help calm Peter down, as he dropped his head to his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Eds. I’m trying. I know this is all new and stuff. I just - I’m scared.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of what, sweetheart?” He asked, slipping his arms to rest comfortably around Peter’s body. “Talk to me, Ben. Tell me what’s going through that head of yours right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want us to get into trouble.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We won’t.” Peter’s cheek felt soft under his lips as he left a gentle kiss there. “You’ve got to trust me. Everything is good, remember?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Right. Everything is good.” Closing his eyes, he found Peter’s lips and kissed him softly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have panicked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay. I know it’s a bit strange. It’s a transition.” Tony didn’t want Peter to feel bad at all for his reaction, as it was a normal one to have. “Hey Friday - what time is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Five minutes to seven. Happy is downstairs, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter groaned. “Already? I thought we’d have a little more time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to see you in eight hours.” Tony murmured into his ear, loving how he heard Peter gasp softly. “Then we’ll have the rest of the weekend to sit like this if you want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Or in the b-b-bedroom?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There as well.” A deep chuckle rumbled out of his chest. “But now, you have got to get your things and go to school.” He felt Peter slip off of his lap, and grabbed the last strudel off of his own plate. “Hey, that’s mine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’m starving and have to be able to concentrate in class.” Peter left a quick kiss on his lips, then walked over to the elevator. “I’ll see you a little after three, Eds. Love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you too.” Tony blew him a kiss as he watched Peter get into the elevator. Picking up his phone, he pulled up his email and sent a quick note to Pepper letting her know that he was going to be working remotely for the day. She replied back almost immediately, which meant she was already downstairs working. Setting his phone back down, he grabbed his mug of coffee and took a sip. It was going to be a long day at home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wincing a little, he shifted in the backseat as he waited outside of Midtown High. It was five after three, and students were starting to trickle out of the school. The bruises on his chest felt like they were getting worse, which he knew wasn’t the case, but still felt that way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I see him, sir.” Happy spoke, looking through the rearview mirror. “Did you tell him I would be picking him up?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did.” Tony nodded, moving over so that when Peter arrived, he’d be sitting next to him. “But I might have neglected to tell him I’m with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is he going to be upset?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He might be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After working for most of the morning, Tony had decided that driving wasn’t going to be something he wanted to do today due to the nature of his bruises. If, for some odd reason, they were to get into an accident he would have been in a world of hurt. So he sent a text to Peter and told him that Happy would be picking him up. Peter immediately replied and said that it was okay - he’d rather that he get well than try and do something that he shouldn’t be doing. Tony had felt himself get a little teary-eyed, as it wasn’t something he was expecting for Peter to say to him. It only made him love him more, as Peter really did seem to care about his well being. Which is why he told Happy to pick him up first. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter came walking down the sidewalk, and started to go for the front door when Tony saw him shake his head. <em>Huh, interesting</em>. He wondered if Peter felt bad about having Happy drive him around, which is why he went to the front seat first. The backdoor opened, sun pouring into the car, Tony holding his hand up in front of his face to get rid of the glare. “Hi, Mr. Parker.” He greeted him, smiling as he saw the look of surprise on Peter’s face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-W-What are you doing here, Mr. Stark? I didn’t think you’d be here!” Peter got into the car, and shut the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thought I’d surprise you.” Tony smirked, then looked at the rearview mirror. “Happy? Take us back to the tower.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it.” The partition was raised up, leaving the two of them alone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as the glass was all the way up, Tony groaned as he felt Peter throw his arms around him to hug him. “I didn’t think I’d see you until I got back to your place.” Peter’s voice surrounded him, as Tony held him close. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why this is called a surprise, sweetheart.” He teased, happy that Peter was so receptive to the sudden change of plans. “I didn’t want to drive by myself because I’m in some pain right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! I’m sorry!” Peter started to move off of him, but stopped as Tony held tight to his hips. “E-Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re fine.” Tony murmured low, pulling Peter back up onto his thighs. “Stay right here. I love being able to hold you like this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love it too.” Strong arms wrapped around his neck, as he rested his head against Peter’s shoulder. “This is much better than having to sit next to you where I can’t touch you like this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew that they had a little bit of time thanks to the rush hour traffic back to Manhattan. “You know, I forgot to tell you this morning that I’m really glad you spent the night last night. Because of you, I think I’m feeling better today than I should be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you slept through the night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly.” Tony was happy that Peter understood where he was going with this. “You know, they did release me because I wasn’t dying. I’m just sore.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And bruised.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should try and find a better metal for your suit.” Tony closed his eyes as he felt Peter start to kiss along his jawline. “If you can make my suit all fancy, why can’t you make yours like that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweetheart, you know that I’m on my forty-eigth version of my suit, don’t you?” He groaned as Peter’s lips began to touch the side of his neck. “B-Be careful…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it too much? Am I hurting you?” The soft caress of Peter’s lips against his ears sent blood rushing down to his cock. “Should I move?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you move, I might murder you by accident.” Breathing slow, Tony tilted his head, not wanting Peter to think he was hating what he was doing to him. But he only had so much control over himself. “You’re definitely not hurting me, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want to hurt you, Tony….” Peter moaned softly near his ear, as his chest pushed up against his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hearing him say his real name made more blood rush to a certain part of his body that he knew Peter was going to feel at any minute, given how he was seated on his lap. “You aren’t, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A gentle push of Peter’s hips had their groins lining up, Tony dropping his head to Peter’s shoulder with a deep groan. “Should I stop….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a loaded question. Tony knew that he should say yes, but he’d been so adamant with Peter that he has all the control right now. If he were to say no, it might cause him to lose any sort of confidence he’d gained and he was <em>not</em> going to let that happen. Happy knew better than to disturb him if they got to the tower and he hadn’t exited out of the car yet. He only hoped that it would stay that way, now that Peter was in the back of the car with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you <em>dare</em>….” Tony lifted his head, and with his left hand on the back of Peter’s head, pulled him down to kiss him hard. He swallowed Peter’s moans as he felt him start to grind against him, the physical need to pull himself out of his jeans and bury himself into Peter’s tightness was incredibly strong. But they definitely could <em>not</em> do that right now. <em>Control. I need to regain control</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the more Peter kissed him, and the more he rolled his hips against his, Tony knew he was fighting a losing battle. It felt too good to stop, and watching Peter writhe against him like this was turning him on like no one’s business. Settling his hands on Peter’s hips, he helped move him, his feet planted on the floor of the car, trying to stay still so that Peter could get himself off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony….” Peter’s sweet moans began to fill the car, Tony knowing from experience that they were safe in the back. The partition was thick glass, built thick so that whatever business was conducted in the backseat stayed where it was. Not that he didn’t trust Happy, but on the off chance he had to have someone else drive him, it was better to put it into practice first than try and change it later on. “Tony, I’m so hot right now….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really are, baby….” He groaned low, his own cock looking for some relief. “Should I touch you?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, please…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He unsnapped the button on Peter’s jeans, and with a skillful twist of his arm, he pushed his hand down his pants and made a firm fist around his throbbing cock. “Have you been thinking about this all day?” Tony murmured, pressing light kisses to the base of Peter’s neck, as he stroked his cock. “Because I sure have. Been thinking about what we did last night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I w-want to do that again….” Peter nodded his head, as Tony rubbed the pad of his thumb over the tip of Peter’s cock. “Can we, Tony?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When we get home.” It was difficult to not want to just do it right now. It was clear that Peter wanted it, but he didn’t have anything on him that would make it somewhat safe for them to have sex. <em>I really need to start carrying shit on me</em>. It’s something he hasn’t had to think about in a very long time, as Pepper was generally always ready to go when they had sex. But being with Peter meant he was going to have to start keeping a small bottle of lube in his pocket. You know, for emergencies. “But I can make you come right now, Peter. Would you like that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yes, please….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony stroked Peter’s cock with a firm grip, remembering what he enjoyed from the previous times they’d done this together. He looked down and saw precum dribbling from the tip, Tony spreading it over the length of his cock. “God, you look so beautiful right now…” He couldn’t help himself, as he looked up at Peter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-Stop….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want me to?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He moaned low and really began to pump his hand. Sitting back, he felt Peter lean forward, and then was writhing on his lap, simulating the action of having sex. It was blowing his mind how hot and aroused he was, just by doing this little act. He started to kiss Peter’s neck, his beard dragging against his clavicle. He heard Peter moan his name, and then felt the wet heat of his orgasm begin to slip over his fingers. He moaned low as he felt the sticky fluid of Peter’s spunk spread over his hand, helping him to pull Peter through his orgasm. When he felt him go limp against his hand, he pulled it away and brought it up to his own lips to lick it clean. He then lowered his head and began to lap up what was covering Peter’s cock, and heard him whine low in his throat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony…..Y-You’re going to make me hard again….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that mean you want me to stop?” He glanced up, his lips sticking together due to the cum on them. “Tell me what you want, Peter….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really want you to be inside of me, but I know we can’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hearing him say the exact thing he wanted made Tony moan low. “I promise, as soon as we get into my place, that will happen. But you’re right - we can’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-You want it too, don’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The way Peter spoke was really having an affect on him. He wanted to give him what he wanted, but knew if he did he might accidentally hurt him. And that is something he would never do. “I do, baby. But we can’t. I can’t hurt you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” Peter’s forehead came to rest against his, as he carefully tucked him back into his underwear. “And I definitely don’t want to hurt you right now. Are you in any pain?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surprisingly, he wasn’t. Maybe because he’d been so focused on what he was doing to Peter that he didn’t allow himself to think about his own injuries. “I’m good.” Tony smiled, as he saw Peter scoot back on his thighs to put a little space between them. Looking out the window, he saw that they were almost to the tower. “And with time to spare.” He pointed to the window, and saw Peter turn his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, good. I was a little afraid we were already there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If we were, we would still be okay.” He brushed his lips against the base of Peter’s neck. “I can’t wait to get you upstairs, sweetheart.” He whispered the words into his ear, and heard him moan in response. “I’m going to fuck you so good….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>God</em>, Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They pulled into the garage, Happy pulling to a stop right by his private elevator. He gave a quick kiss to Peter’s lips before he slipped him off of his lap. They both took a few minutes to fix themselves, then Tony opened the door on his side. He saw Happy standing next to the car, looking over at him. “I won’t need you for the rest of the night.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure? Because if you’re not, you’d better tell me. I don’t want to be out somewhere, and then you send me a text and tell me you need me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony rolled his eyes, as he saw Peter get out on the other side of the car. “Would you relax? You know I’m injured. Where am I going to go? What am I going to do?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could have picked the kid up on my own. You should still be in bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew Happy was trying to mother him like he always did. “Thanks, Happy. I appreciate the thought.” He patted his shoulder. “I might need you tomorrow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know I’m a phone call away. Peter? Make sure this guy takes care of himself. No staying up late working on a project, or moving around too much.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blush on Peter’s face hopefully went unnoticed by his friend, but he definitely saw it and knew why it was there in the first place. <em>Move around too much. Hah. Not going to happen</em>. “I w-w-will, Happy. Have a good night!” Peter walked over to the private elevator. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean it, Tony.” Happy gave him another look. “Don’t do anything stupid tonight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Define ‘stupid’.” He grinned, and walked to the elevator, standing next to Peter. “See you maybe tomorrow, Happy.” He waved as the doors closed, then turned to look at his lover. “He has the best intentions.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He cares about you a lot.” Peter agreed. “But he did say not to move around a lot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I saw that blush, Ben.” He teased, as he stepped closer to him. “We really need to work on that poker face of yours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re t-talking about.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Smirking, the elevator opened up in his penthouse. “Sure, you don’t.” He walked forward, and then before they went too far, he grabbed Peter by his wrist and pushed him up against the wall. Grabbing his bookbag, he tossed it away before putting his knee between Peter’s thighs. “We’re home.” He murmured, before lowering his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His mouth latched onto his, opening wide as he pushed his tongue against Peter’s, the need to consume him bringing heat rushing through his body. The back of the car had been a warm up, and now this - this was something he’d been itching to do all day. But again, he didn’t have the necessary items, but fuck it - he really needed to be inside of Peter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, God….<em>Tony</em>….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sweet cry that left Peter’s mouth as he pushed his clothed cock up against his ass made Tony moan low. “You want it, don’t you, baby….?” He murmured into his ear, keeping him pinned up against the wall as he pushed against his ass more. “Should I give it to you right here…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-But….I thought we….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought his lips to Peter’s ear. “Just the tip….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hhhngh….” The response Peter gave to him let him know he was on board with just a little teasing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dropping his hand, he helped get Peter’s pants unbuttoned again, and then struggled to get his own off. The movement was a little too jarring for him, but he fought through the initial pain as he really wanted this. He <em>needed</em> this right now. His body was getting to be a problem that was going to have to be fixed at some point, might as well get used to working through it somehow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony pushed his hands under Peter’s ass, and lifted him up against the wall, happy that it didn’t hurt to hold him in such a position as he got the tip of his cock to push against the soft skin between his asscheeks. “Just for a few seconds, okay…?” He kissed the base of Peter’s neck, moaning low as he carefully began to lower him down onto his cock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh…..<em>fuck</em>….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It turned him on so much to hear Peter swear like that, as the Peter Parker he knew a few months ago would never dream of swearing in front of him. But now - now it seemed he was hearing him swear more often, and during the most erotic times, which again was something he’d secretly fantasized about but never thought it would actually come to fruition. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He kept his hips still, just letting Peter feel a little bit of his cock, his teeth nipping at his neck. “Peter….” He murmured into his ear, moaning low as he listened to him whine more. “I have to take it out…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“D-Don’t….” Peter clung to him, his legs squeezing around his waist. “Please, Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t hurt you, baby….” Tony knew if he were to drop him down on him, as much as he wanted to be surrounded by that warmth he wouldn’t do it. “Let me carry you to the bedroom. We can go at it in there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Please…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pushing his hand against the wall, he gave himself the boost he needed to pull Peter away from the wall. He wanted to keep teasing him with his cock, but since he knew he had to walk that wasn’t going to be possible. Shifting him in his arms, he groaned as his body protested at the minor abuse it was getting from carrying Peter, but again he pushed through the pain. It was only a few short steps to get to the bedroom, and with a rushed gait he carried him while keeping his lips pressed against the side of his neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony dropped Peter onto the bed with little fanfare, and was quick to yank off his own pants, not realizing he’d basically waddled like a penguin all the way here. At least they made it. Grabbing the lube off his nightstand, he looked down at Peter’s flushed body, pleased to see he wasn’t getting upset about the lights being on. <em>Progress</em>. He took his own shirt off, exposing his bruised torso to his lover, but there wasn’t any sympathy in his eyes right now. There was only the unchecked need that was burning in his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He poured some lube onto his fingers, and gave Peter’s entrance a few quick touches, wanting him to have a little bit on him before shoving his cock in. Peter pulled his left knee up, and brought it up to his chest, exposing himself in a way that made Tony’s heart sing. “You’re fucking beautiful, you know that?” He spoke softly, gently pushing his finger into Peter’s ass, moaning low as he watched the expression change on his face. “I love you so damn much.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I l-love you too, Tony….” Peter kept hugging his knee. He knew he was flexible, but seeing it like this was turning him on in ways he didn’t anticipate. “C-Can I please have it now…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, baby.” He poured more lube onto his palm, and then started to coat his cock with it. “Anything you want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking into Peter’s eyes, he groaned low. “I know you do, sweetheart. And I want you to. Clearly.” He kneeled on the bed, and got settled between his knees. “No more playing.” Pushing the tip of his cock back against his loosened hole, he stared down at Peter’s body and watched as he pushed himself into it, moaning low. “Is this what you want….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony….” His young lover nodded his head, his eyes remaining closed as Tony kept sinking into his warmth. “God, that feels so good….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It does, doesn’t it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He braced his hands on either side of Peter’s head and slowly started to roll his hips, moving at a glacial pace. They had gone hot and heavy in the car - now it was time to remind Peter that there were many different ways that they could enjoy one another. He saw his eyes open, and began to smile as he stared into them. “L-Love….” Peter gasped softly as Tony gave a more forceful roll of his hips, pushing his cock in completely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, sweetheart.” He murmured, staring into his eyes. “I love you.” He gave another forceful roll, listening to Peter moan louder for him. “God, I really do…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stopped talking in order to chase their high together. Tony could feel Peter’s inner walls massaging his cock, the little spasms pushing heat through his body. Every push down, he felt Peter returning the push with one of his own. It was the perfect fit - like they were made to be together like this. He stared down at him, groaning low as he watched as Peter’s facial expressions changed as he gave him more pleasure. Reaching between their bodies, he grabbed onto his cock, and began to touch him the same way he had in the back of his car. He saw Peter stare right back up at him, making him moan lower. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T-Tony….” Peter moaned his name, the knee that had been bent was now lifted up and put against his shoulder. He gasped out a moan as he suddenly felt himself shift deeper into Peter’s body with the new position, Peter’s moans becoming richer as he began to thrust back into that deepness over and over. “C-C-Com…..ing….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, baby…..” Tony groaned as he felt the liquid heat of Peter’s orgasm spread over his fingers. He shifted his weight and slammed deep into him for one more final thrust, and seconds after he felt Peter stop coming, he began to come with a deep moan. He emptied himself into Peter, not moving a muscle as he listened to Peter continue to moan for him, the two of them reaching the plateau within seconds of each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought his lips to Peter’s and kissed him softly, keeping his hips still as they both tried to recover from their orgasm. Pulling out carefully, he heard Peter groan. He kissed him again, as if apologizing for the loss of connection, which he felt him return with a languid kiss. Tony rolled off the bed and grabbed the towel they’d used the night before, and carefully took care to clean Peter up first before using it on himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laying back down on the bed, he saw Peter roll towards him, a smile on his face. “That was….is it always going to be that good?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should hope so.” Tony reached over and pushed some of the curls off of Peter’s forehead, returning his smile. “Next time, we can try a different position, if you want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like what??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Resting his back against his headboard, he pulled Peter to cuddle with him, his fingers beginning to idly play with the strands of hair on the back of his head. “Well, there’s being on your stomach, or your hands and knees. Or, we can try it again by spooning? That’s always nice.” He groaned softly as Peter shifted his head, exacerbating one of the bruises on his chest. “Careful, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Right! Sorry!” Peter turned to look up at him. “I’m good to try anything. What ways do you like?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All ways?” A smirk played upon his lips, as he saw Peter’s cheeks turn slightly pink. “There’s no rush, remember that. I’m more than happy to keep doing it like we’ve been doing it - it’s traditional for a reason.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No rush. Everything is good.” The smile on Peter’s face made his own smirk return to a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is good.” He agreed, and then kissed him on the tip of his nose. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a little hungry. How about an afternoon snack? Would you like that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can go get us something.” The bed began to shift as Peter moved away from him. “You stay. You should be resting.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please don’t mother me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m <em>not</em>.” Peter stood at the foot of the bed, picking up his underwear off the floor. “But you and I both know that the reason we’re staying here this weekend is because of that.” He pointed to Tony’s chest. “Now, sit there and relax. I’ll be back in a few.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I have any choice?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been an awfully long time since someone wanted to take care of him like this. “Then I guess I’ll stay here and wait. Please don’t bring back something like saltines and mayo sandwiches.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ew? Gross?” Peter rolled his eyes. “Eds, I can cook food, you know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. Go.” Tony waved his hand at him. “Because the longer you stand there, looking all sexy in your underwear, the more I’m going to beg you to come back to bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That comment made Peter blush. “R-Right. You stay. I’ll be right back.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take your time, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watched Peter leave the bedroom, unable to keep the smile off of his face. He still wasn’t sure how he’d won the jackpot by having Peter with him like this. Closing his eyes, he sank back against his pillows and waited to see what sort of food Peter would bring back to his bedroom. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Huzzah! We hit 100k+ words! :D I hope you guys enjoy this update! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Peter walked through the penthouse, his mind going a mile a minute as he thought about what Tony had just casually brought up while they were in bed. <em>Sex? Different ways??</em> It was something that was causing him to be so distracted that he didn’t realize he was in the kitchen until a blast of cold air hit him square on the chest, his hand on the door to the fridge. He sighed, and closed it, taking a moment to lean against the cool steel as he tried to calm himself down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn’t opposed to having sex in different positions. There were a lot they could try. Against the wall - that had been really nice in the shower. Then there was on the couch. Or on the balcony. That really made him aroused, thinking about having sex outside where anyone could see them. But of course, Tony probably had security measures put into place that would make it so that no one could actually do that. He’s probably had plenty of sex all over his penthouse. That thought made a small knot appear in his stomach. <em>Stupid. That was dumb</em>. He chastised himself, hating that he was even thinking about that kind of stuff. It wasn’t important. What was important was that Tony loved him, and he loved Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pushing himself off the fridge, he turned around and put his hand back on the door, this time conscious of what he was doing. Looking through it, he saw that Tony had some carrots and hummus, which sounded like a good snack. “Hey, Friday? What time is it?” He wasn’t sure if she would answer him or not, or if she would only answer to Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s thirteen after five, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His mouth dropped open, surprised by her answering him. “T-T-Thank you.” He stared up at the ceiling, still surprised that she had told him the time. If it was almost five fifteen, a small snack like this would be fine before dinner. Or, he could just order them food, since it was Friday night. It could take awhile for delivery. But, he did just tell Tony he knew how to cook. “Decisions.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About what, sweetheart?” He turned around, and saw Tony walking towards him, dressed in only his briefs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-What are you doing up, Eds?” Peter closed the fridge door. “You were supposed to stay in the bedroom!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t help myself. Plus - you were taking too long.” Cool hands touched his waist, sending a little shiver down his spine. “What’s taking you so long? And why is your cock so pronounced right now? Did you find something in the fridge that’s making you horny? See a cucumber that you like?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my fucking God, Eds.” He groaned, but smiled as he heard Tony laugh. “Your hands are cold again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you. I’ll get better about it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter rested his head against his shoulder and smiled. “I like it. I like knowing that you get nervous around me. Which is silly, because if anyone should be nervous, it’s me. And no - I wasn’t looking at something phallic in the fridge. I was thinking about what we were talking about before I left to get us food.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mayonnaise?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Again, ew.” Peter kissed the base of Tony’s neck, trying to avoid the dark purple bruise that was blooming across his skin. “No, about….the….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can say it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-P-Positions.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There we go.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed and turned back towards the fridge. “And hey, I’ve got a silly question to ask.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it’s about my dick, and what it can do to you, I’m all ears, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he saw Tony had a smirk on his lips. “You’re incorrigible, you know that right? I’m the one that’s supposed to have a one track mind. Not you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On the contrary. Since we began talking online, I think I’ve reverted to being a teenager again.” Tony put his arms around his waist, and held him close against his body. “I sure seem to have the libido of one right now.” The words were murmured into his ear, Peter’s eyelids falling closed as a soft moan left his mouth. “What do you say? Should we christen the table with actual sex right now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Please. I know you’ve had sex all over this apartment.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t mean I’ve done it with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That made the knot disappear, replaced by soft fluttering butterflies. “T-Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s your question, Peter?” A featherlight kiss touched the side of his neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you program Friday to recognize my voice? Or does she answer anyone that asks her a question directly?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to feel special, or do you want me to tell you the truth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The laughter that came out of Tony made him feel slightly foolish. “Sweetheart, yes - I programmed her to recognize your voice at the same time I made it so you could access my penthouse through the garage.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Oh.” That made him feel a little better, because he knew that the other Avengers didn’t have that kind of clearance. They had to use the lobby elevator to come up to the penthouse. “Really?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really. And yes - the other Avengers can ask her questions, and she will answer. But you’re still special, okay?” The touch of Tony’s beard against the side of his neck sent a small shiver down his spine. “I love <em>you</em>, remember that. I don’t love them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, you do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, but not the same kind of love.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now it was his turn to laugh. “Right, because that would be kind of awkward, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very much so.” The arms around his waist tightened their hold. “Now, what are you going to make for us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s so close to dinner - do you want me to cook us something? Or, did you want to order food?” Peter tried to go over to the fridge, but Tony’s arms were keeping him firmly in place. “Eds, I can’t move.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” He noticed that Tony’s voice was a little deeper, his body responding to it in a way that wasn’t necessarily a bad way. “You don’t need to move. Do you want to cook? Or do you want to order?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Leaning back against him, he put one arm on top of Tony’s, the two of them standing in the middle of the kitchen. “If we order out too much, it’ll make us fat.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweetheart, do I need to remind you again of that metabolism of yours? Because I will.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter knew it was true - he could eat a lot of food, and not really pack it away. “Okay, but if we order dinner tonight, I’m going patrolling. I <em>have</em> to go out tonight, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. You didn’t go out last night.” He moaned softly as Tony’s nose rubbed against the side of his neck. “Which, by the way, Happy isn’t very happy about. He sent me an email this morning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See?? This is why I need to keep patrolling.” Peter groaned. “I hate that Happy thinks I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, do you hear yourself right now?” The arms around his waist disappear, as Tony moves to stand in front of him. “You do realize that he reports to me, right? And if you’re with me? Then I know where you are, and what you’re doing. It would only be a problem if you aren’t where you’re supposed to be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked down at the floor, pouting a little. “Just don’t put the training wheels protocol back on my suit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would <em>never</em>.” Tony kissed the top of his head. “Let’s order Chinese. We eat - you go patrol for a couple of hours, and then come back here. Or, maybe Iron Man should-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Peter held up his hand to stop Tony from saying anything else. “You are supposed to be resting right now. Which you’re clearly not doing because you’re standing here in the kitchen with me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you, you don’t have to mother-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You, I know. I’m not.” He looked up at Tony, a small smile on his face. “You don’t seem to understand that I’m worried about you, Eds. I want to make sure you’re okay, so we can try some crazy, k-k-kinky sex.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You <em>almost</em> did it.” Tony grinned, and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both laughed, as they stepped close to each other to share another long embrace. “You’re right. That makes me want to go and lay down, and sleep for a full twenty-four hours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Snorting, he shook his head. “You and I both know that that is just not physically possible for either of us. How about you go and sit down on the couch. If I order Chinese, do you have a certain place you order from? Certain items?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday? Order from Mr. Chang’s, the normal order, times two.” Tony grabbed his hand, leading him over to the couch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter sat down with him, grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch to throw it over the both of them. “Are you going to tell me what you normally like to eat when you order Chinese? What if it’s not something I like? You just messed up, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I order General Tso’s chicken, beef with broccoli, chow mein with shrimp, shui mai, and egg rolls.” Peter felt Tony’s hands touch his, again cool to the touch, and felt him tugging on him. Taking the cue, he moved to rest between his legs, both of them now stretched out on the couch underneath the blanket. “Are those good for you? Or should we order something else? There’s time to modify it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, that sounds perfect.” It did. He loved all of those items. Maybe he would have asked for some fried rice too, but this is good for now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They fell into a comfortable silence, Peter trying to be very careful with how he moved his head, not wanting to accidentally press on any of the bruises too hard. He held Tony’s hand against his stomach, the two of them breathing at the same speed, except opposite to one another. Tony took a deep breath in, Peter exhaled out. Peter took a deep breath, and Tony exhaled out. It was nice, and it was making him feel somewhat lethargic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me about these kinky sex ideas you were having while trying to figure out food for us.” Tony’s voice brought him out of his light sleep. “Or, is that a discussion we should have later?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really are a teenager right now.” Peter laughed, as he shifted a little on the couch. “You know it’s going to be difficult for me to say it. So, maybe I should grab my phone and just send it to you in chat.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because sometimes typing it is easier than saying it out loud.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With a lot less stuttering involved.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll have to tell me one day.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-Why?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because nothing turns me on more than hearing someone talk dirty to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A rush of heat pushed through him as Tony’s lips touched the shell of his ear. “Y-You want me to talk dirty to you? T-T-Tony, I d-d-don’t know if I can d-d-do that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d be amazed at what you can do, especially when you don’t limit yourself, sweetheart.” A soft kiss to his jaw had Peter gripping onto Tony’s hand a little tighter. “Now, close your eyes, and tell me what you were thinking about. Please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew that he was going to have to learn how to do this sooner or later. Really, he preferred later, but since it didn’t seem like he was going to have that option, he was going to have to learn how to deal with it. Peter took a few deep breaths, and tried not to think about how he could feel Tony pushed up against his back. “I was t-thinking about positions.” He swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry as he tried to get the words out. “And t-t-then I was thinking about where we could have sex. Like, r-r-right here. Or on the table.” Peter prayed to whatever God was listening to help him get through the next part. “Out on the balcony.” The words were rushed, but he said it without a nervous stutter, which had to count for something. “B-B-But then, would that even be safe? Do you have security out there to make it so no one can see?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do.” The richness in Tony’s voice made the butterflies appear again, his own heart hammering hard in his chest. “It’s secure enough that if you wanted to do something outside with me, we’d be protected.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“H-H-Have you had sex outside before?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In general? Yes. On my balcony? Also yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds.” Peter breathed out a laugh, happy that Tony hadn’t bothered to lie to him. “I figured you would have had sex outside.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have and would again. If you wanted to try that, I wouldn’t say no.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can barely t-t-talk about it.” Turning over a little, he pushed his face against the base of Tony’s neck, listening to him chuckle softly. “I don’t know if I could handle doing stuff like <em>that</em> outside. I’d be too scared.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do I keep telling you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s lips brushed back and forth along the side of his face. “I’m in control. There’s no rush.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly. We’ve now had sex how many times?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um….five? Six times?” Peter was pretty sure they were up to six now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tilting his head back, he looked up at him, chocolate colored eyes staring down at him. “Right. So, only a handful of times. And we’ve got so much ahead of us. There’s no reason to rush this. If you want - we can pump the brakes for a bit, go back to just kissing, touching, maybe some oral. It doesn’t always have to be about sex.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Says the man who keeps telling me he feels like a teenager right now.” The blush that appeared on Tony’s face surprised him, but he decided not to draw attention to it. “And I’m an actual teenager, who walks around with half a hard-on for most of the day.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you’re thinking about me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, because I’ve got the hots for my English teacher.” He rolled his eyes, then started to laugh. “Yes, because of you. It’s a problem.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think it sounds like that big of a deal. I mean, maybe a little inconvenient, but really - not too terrible in the scheme of things.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter was about to say something else, but then Friday’s voice interrupted them. “Boss, Chinese food is here. Send them up?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood up from the couch, and put the blanket over Tony. “Do I need to pay for anything?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I have a running tab that I take care of at month’s end.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That kind of living must be nice. “Okay, cool.” He ran into the bedroom to grab his shirt and pants, and put both on before walking over to the elevator. It chimed two seconds later, and the delivery person stepped off and looked at him. “Thanks, man.” He took the bags from him, and then watched him nod and walk right back onto the elevator. Once it was closed, he turned to look at Tony. “You ordered too much food.” He groaned, the bags heavy as all hell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know that it’s a problem.” Tony shrugged, and stayed seated on the couch. “Don’t act so surprised. I’m a terrible judge of food. Remember the cookies?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Peter snorted, and then carried the bags over to the dining room table. “Okay, I’m going to make us some plates. Whatever we don’t eat now, maybe we can eat as a snack when I get back from patrolling.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you’ll be famished.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Swinging takes a lot out of me.” Peter nodded his head, as he went back into the kitchen to grab some plates and utensils. “Speaking of, maybe we could go down to your lab tomorrow? I had an idea I wanted to see would work on the suit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Tony grunt, knowing he was getting up from the couch. “I think that can be arranged. Why? You don’t want to stay cooped up inside my penthouse all weekend?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very funny.” Finishing putting the food on the plates, Peter went over to where Tony was now sitting with his feet plated on the floor. “Want something to drink? Booze? Water?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Water is fine. I’ll drink when you’re gone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like a true alcoholic.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Watch it, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, and took a seat next to him, balancing his plate on his thighs. “I’m kidding. I know you don’t drink that much because of insomnia.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s better that I don’t. The dreams become worse when I do.” The words were quiet, but Peter heard them. “But enough of that. Let’s eat, huh? I hope you like this place - it’s a hole in the wall.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking the first bite of General Tso, Peter groaned as he chewed. “It’s so good. And really? You don’t really seem like the kind of guy that would try hole in the wall places.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m shocked, Ben.” Tony nudged his side with his elbow. “I like to be adventurous every once in a while. But then I hit my quota, and I’m done.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter knew that Tony was teasing him, but decided to roll with it. “So, if I said there was a place I wanted to try that wasn’t a Michelin restaurant, you’d say yes?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course. I’ll go wherever you want to go. You should know that, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hearing his name had him closing his eyes. “Thank you, Tony. That means a lot to me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s the truth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They ate the rest of their food, Tony asking Friday to play some Beethoven sonatas, the music adding to the ambiance of their pseudo-date. It was nice. Peter really hadn’t had a moment to relax like this all week, and now that he was, he felt a certain happiness settle over him. It was nicer eating dinner with Tony than eating at home alone. May always picked up double shifts on Fridays, so he was usually by himself. Sometimes Ned joined him, but most Fridays he would do homework, eat and then go patrol. Just having Tony around was nice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grabbed them more food, Peter putting a little more on each plate, then sat down right next to Tony. “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in the bedroom?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, Ben.” He heard Tony coughing, and saw him look at him with a shocked expression on his face. “I wasn’t expecting you to ask me that kind of question. And without stuttering?? I’m shocked.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shrugging his shoulders, he looked back down at his plate. “I’m trying not to think about it too much. Makes me less nervous if I don’t allow myself to get worked up about it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That does make sense.” The sounds of the chopsticks scraping against the plates created a percussive harmony to the music playing over the speakers. “Well, that’s tough. I’ve done a lot of crazy things in the bedroom. Some I’m not so proud of, but hey - what can you do?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve never put someone into a position they didn’t want to be, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of. Never intentionally. Have I role played and done that with a partner? Yes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“W-Wow.” Peter didn’t know how to handle that information. “I d-d-don’t know if I can do stuff like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not asking you to.” A hand touched his knee, Peter looking up from his plate to give his attention to his lover. “What I <em>am</em> asking you to do is to trust me, and know that I will never make you do something you don’t want to do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You still haven’t answered my question.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, I’ve done a lot of crazy things in the bedroom. To narrow it down is asking a lot. I guess what I can say is that I have had sex on a swing before.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like, at a park??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, like a sex swing. It’s built specifically for the activity.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s face burned as he realized how dumb he’d sounded. “R-Right. Of course. Wow. That’s crazy.” Taking a bite of food, he swallowed. “Was it fun?” He asked, his voice quiet. “Or was it awkward?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awkward, but fun.” Tony shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t care about gimmicks like that. And some of my ex’s might tell you that I don’t think about their well being in the bedroom.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head. “I understand. It’s not always rainbows with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Again, you have to know - you’re different. You’ll always be different, Peter.” Tony’s hand left his knee, and cupped the side of his face. “I love you. I’m excited to try new things with you, to help you explore your sexual awakening. Or, if you’d rather just have sex the old fashioned way, that’s okay too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think that I’ll ever be the one giving?” He asked, feeling slightly lightheaded. “Y-You know, like I take-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me?” Peter exhaled, happy that Tony said it for him. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to get through the word. “That depends. Is that something you’re interested in?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Peter hadn’t really thought about it. He liked how Tony felt inside of him. But, there was some part of him that was curious to know what it would feel like. “M-Maybe I just play around with you? Like, during a blow job?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d love that, sweetheart.” The smile on Tony’s face helped alleviate some of the tension he’d begun to feel after asking that question. “Are you doing okay? Everything is good, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is good.” He nodded his head, reassuring both Tony and himself that he was doing okay. This conversation wasn’t <em>that</em> scary. Okay, it was a little, but he felt he was handling it better than he thought he would. “Thanks, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome. The more we talk about this, the more comfortable we’ll become. It’s okay. It’s normal to have these kinds of apprehensions. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to explore the possibilities.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Right.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They finished eating, and Peter grabbed their empty plates and took them to the kitchen. He grabbed the leftover food, which there was still plenty of, and put the containers into the fridge. “I’ll take a shower when I get back.” Peter said, as he started to walk to his room. “Want me to bring anything back?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yourself?” He could hear the smirk in Tony’s voice without having to see his face. “But no, I think I’m okay.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head, then went into the room and grabbed his Spiderman suit from his bag. Taking off his clothes, he slipped it on, keeping the mask off. He headed back out to the living room, and saw Tony resting sideways on the couch, the blanket back over his body. “Okay, I should be back in a few hours.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have your cell phone?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” He patted the side panel that hid his phone. “You need anything, send me a text. Or tell Friday to tell Karen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will. Go. Love you.” Tony blew him a kiss, as Peter hit the button for the elevator. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you more.” He grinned, then slipped his mask on. He took the elevator to the garage, and then made his way out on foot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could feel the city was humming, which made his senses dial up. “Karen - what’s Queens look like right now?” He shot a web, and began to make his way back towards Queens, leaving Manhattan behind. It was going to be a long Friday night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter leaned against the elevator, sighing as he pulled his mask off. His body <em>hurt</em>. He’d accidentally run into another building - he was getting sloppy, and he knew it. But sometimes the need for precision wasn’t as high as the need to catch the bad guy. Which he had done, but he was going to be sore for the rest of the night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t pull himself away from the wall before the elevator doors opened. So when he saw Tony staring at him with a worried look, he felt <em>awful</em>. “I’m sorry.” He groaned, as Tony walked into the elevator, and helped him walk into the penthouse. “I hit a building and I’m still a bit dazed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll say.” He could hear the concern in Tony’s voice, and tried not to read too much into it. “How bad is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not as bad as your injuries.” Peter was grateful that Tony guided him to the bedroom, and stood still as he felt his hands start to take the suit off of him. “T-Thanks, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s my pleasure.” Tony started to kneel, pulling the suit all the way down to his ankles. “Foot please.” He lifted one, then the other, now standing in his socks and underwear. “Thank you.” A kiss to his thigh made him laugh slightly. “Ticklish?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-Maybe.” He giggled, trying to wiggle away from Tony, but it was almost impossible. He started to pitch to the side, and then felt the soft mattress touch his side. “S-Sorry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be.” A hand touched the center of his back, as Tony sat down beside him. “Do you want to shower? Sleep? How’d patrol go? And, do you always get injured like this when you go out? Maybe we should really start thinking about upgrading your suit. You know, I’ve been working on a prototype, but didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want you to think I didn’t think you were safe and-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter reached over, and touched his hand to Tony’s lips. “Shhh. Eds. You’re rambling. It’s okay. Can we talk about this later? I would like to eat something, and then maybe cuddle. Kiss. Touch.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shower?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The idea of hot water hitting his back did sound quite inviting. “That’d be nice.” He admitted, but was too tired to get up. “But I can’t move.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good thing you’re dating someone so young and strapping. And not someone who also went through the ringer yesterday.” Peter barked out a laugh, then groaned as he was pulled up into a sitting position. “Put your arm over me, and we’ll go take a shower together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t mind?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter, I love taking care of you. In any way that I can. If it means I’ve got to bathe you? Sign me up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt his heart beat a little quicker as Tony helped walk him over to the bathroom in his room. “You’re just saying that so I don’t try and fight you, huh.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at all.” Tony kissed his shoulder, then the two got into the shower together. “Don’t move.” He stood still again, as Tony got his underwear off, and then took his own clothes off. “There we go.” Reaching over, he turned the water on, the shower immediately filling with steam as the water came out at a hot temperature. “How’s that? Not too hot, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shuffling a little, he groaned as the spray hit him square in the back. “S’perfect.” Peter groaned, keeping his head lowered as he let the water pelt his back. He could feel his muscles relaxing more, his hand holding onto Tony’s forearm to keep himself upright. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m right here.” Tony whispered into his ear, sending heat traveling down to the center of his body. “Take as long as you need, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” He whispered, still unsure of how he had wound up in this amazing position. Once he felt his knots slip away, he grabbed the soap and started to wash up his body. “Do you want to wash up too?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I took one about an hour after you left. I’m in here for moral support. And physical too.” Tony winked, Peter laughing as he began to scrub his hair with shampoo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Standing back under the water, he felt the soap run down his face and onto his chest. He then felt something touch his body, the touch so light that he thought he imagined it. But then it happened again, and he moaned softly. “T-Tony….” He half-moaned, half-whispered as that touch returned. Fingers were slowly brushing back and forth over the tip of his cock, but only lingering for a few seconds before pulling away. “W-W-What are you doing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Teasing you? I know you’re not in the best shape right now, so it’s just a few teases.” A soft kiss touched his lips, Peter moaning softly as Tony pulled away from him. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here and into something warm.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or nothing at all?” He felt his cheeks heat up with the suggestion, not sure he was ready to walk through the penthouse naked. “Or, close to it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A kiss to his shoulder made him slightly weak in the knees. “That sounds perfect, sweetheart.” Tony helped him out of the shower, although by now he was able to walk fine on his own. One of the perks of his super powers - accelerated healing, although sometimes it took a little bit to get back in order. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dried off with a towel, then wrapped it around his waist. Bending over, he grabbed their clothes, and then followed Tony back to his bedroom. Dropping them off on the floor, he approached the bed, and looked at it first then looked at Tony. “Y-Y-You said…..hands and knees.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you asking? Or are you suggesting that you’re in the mood to try that right now? Talk to me, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Peter</em>. He exhaled a breath, happy to hear that name right now. “I think I’d like to try? Are you okay to do it like that? Or would that hurt you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it won’t hurt me.” Tony shook his head, as they stood next to the bed together. “You sure? We can try it later. I don’t mind it with you on your back. Or, if you want, you could sit on me? Like you did that one time?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He remembered that. That had been <em>nice</em>. Sitting on him, controlling how his cock moved in and out of his body. He felt his arousal start to grow as Tony began to leave soft kisses along his shoulders. “I’d like to t-try.” He spoke softly, as he felt Tony’s hand touch the towel at his waist. “B-B-But, we go slow….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, sweetheart.” He sighed with relief as he felt Tony help him onto the bed. “Would you like to come first? Let me make you feel good, baby….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Torn between wanting it, and wanting to play a little first, Peter was going to open his mouth and say just do it, but then Tony’s mouth was on his cock, licking him from behind. He groaned, gripping the blanket with his fingers as Tony kept licking his cock like a sucker. “G-God, Tony….” He moaned, heat flooding through his entire body. He was in the process of moaning when something slimy and wet touched his ass, making him gasp out loud. “O-OH!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shhh….” Tony’s hand touched his left asscheek, and carefully spread it to the side. Peter whimpered as he felt Tony’s tongue push against his hole, licking at it slow. “Relax into me, sweetheart….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-B-B-But….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter.” The deep timbre of his voice sent a shiver through his body as he pushed his hips back a little. “Yes. That’s perfect, sweetheart. Everything is good, yes?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yes…” He moaned softly, getting used to the way Tony’s tongue felt on that part of his body. It was weird - but a good weird. Each little lick sent a shockwave through his body. He never thought that Tony would ever want to lick him like this back there, expecting it to be too gross or dirty. <em>You just showered</em>. He reminded himself, knowing that if there was any good time to do something like this, immediately after a shower would be the best. “G-God, it feels strange…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll get used to it.” Tony’s breath tickled his insides, as the tip of his tongue started to prod against his anus. “God, I’ve been wanting to do this for so long.” Tony’s hand touched his cock, Peter moaning louder as he pushed his hips backwards, then forwards into the heat of his hand. “Yes, sweetheart….Let me take care of you….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter's knees began to spread more, as he felt Tony’s tongue push inside of him. He felt heat rush up his torso as Tony hummed low, fluttering his tongue inside of his body. He cried out, the hand on his cock doing a good job of keeping a steady rhythm. Tony’s moans were deep, while his were climbing in pitch the closer he got to an orgasm. He knew that Tony wanted him to come, and after a few more pumps of his hand on his cock, Peter did just that. He moaned Tony’s name as he began to come hard, his fingers clenching tight to the bedspread as he rode out his orgasm with a long, keening moan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tongue inside of him disappeared, and he heard Tony get up from the bed. “Are you alright, sweetheart?” Tony asked, coming back over to him. Peter nodded his head weakly as he felt his fingers push through his curls. “Think you can handle a little more?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” He nodded, balancing himself up on his wrists as he looked back at Tony. He was holding a bottle of lube, his fingers spreading some over his loosened hole, and then began to pour some on his cock. “T-That was really nice…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you liked it.” A soft kiss touched his shoulder. “I will gladly do that to you whenever you’d like. I’m definitely an assman.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, shaking his head as he felt Tony start to tease him with the tip of his cock. “Maybe you should keep that information to yourself.” He returned, his laughter turning to soft moans as the tip of Tony’s cock pushed into his body. “O-Oh, T-Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, sweetheart.” Tony wouldn’t go any further into him. “Take a deep breath on my mark, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That meant that this was going to hurt, or not be as nice if he was on his back. “Y-Yes, Tony.” He nodded his head, and took a deep breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, one more on the count of three. Three….two….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Tony got to one, his cock slid into Peter’s body with one firm thrust. He gasped, then the sound turned into a deep moan as his inner walls struggled to adjust to the girth of his lover’s cock. Blood rushed through his ears, creating a temporary deafness as he tried to keep his hips still, not wanting to buck them backwards by accident. Everything in his well being told him to stay still, to let Tony guide their movements. The pain he was currently feeling - he knew it would go away. He just had to relax. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a few minutes, but then Tony began to roll his hips, and then as his cock slipped in and out, Peter grew used to the motion. Dropping his head, he locked his elbows as he pushed backwards, a moan leaving his throat as Tony’s cock nudged his prostate. “O-Oh….” He moaned, now knowing how to get to that spot again. “O-Oh, God….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There we go.” Two hands touched his hips, holding him in position. “How’s my baby doing….?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“G-Good….” Peter moaned lower, his cock dripping precum onto the bed. “T-This is so nice….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Isn’t it?” Tony’s lips touched his shoulder, as his chest pressed up against his back. “Do you like how it feels in this position?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes….” He nodded, pushing back. He felt Tony’s cock slip deeper into him with that little push, causing him to moan loud. “Oh, <em>fuck</em>….” Finally, it was feeling really good. Everything was good. His body was in sync with Tony’s, and whenever he thrust forward, Peter would push back, moving in harmony. “Tony….” He moaned his name, as the heat from his back disappeared. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony began to snap his hips hard, Peter moaning wildly as he couldn’t stop making noise. “T-Touch yourself, Peter….” Tony instructed him. Balancing himself on his right arm, he put his left hand on his cock, and began to jerk himself off. “Come for me, sweetheart….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hhhngh…..” Peter wanted to say his name again, wanted to scream it to the ceiling, but the only noise he could manage to make was a deep moan as he brought himself to an orgasm. He felt Tony slam hard into him, and then that rush of heat began to flood his body, the ultimate pleasure rushing through him as he rode the wave of his second orgasm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His face planted onto the bed, his hand covered in his own spunk as he tried to breathe properly. He groaned as he felt Tony slip out of him, the thickness inside of him disappearing. Out of habit now, he rolled to his side, not wanting anything to spill out of him. He felt Tony kiss the center of his lower back, and then the bed shifted as he moved to grab the towel that Peter had worn back to the bedroom. The soft terry cloth felt nice on his ass, Peter groaning softly as his hand and then his spent cock were also treated by the towel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s arms touched his shoulders, and he was moved higher up on the bed, the two of them slipping under the covers together. Barely any mess was made, so there was no reason to change the blanket. “I love you.” Peter was still having difficulty catching his breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Peter.” Tony kissed his temple, Peter knowing why he wasn’t kissing his lips. “I’ll be right back, okay? Don’t fall asleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll try not to.” He smiled, as he watched him go to the bathroom. He heard him brushing his teeth, and then heard the water running again, no doubt washing his face too. He could still feel Tony’s tongue slipping in and out of him, and that made him moan softly. His cock twitched with minor interest, but he was already so tired that it wasn’t amounting to much. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lips touched his with a long, sensual kiss, Peter moaning into Tony’s mouth as he tasted the toothpaste and mouthwash lingering on his tongue. The more they kissed, the more his body was growing hot with the need to do something about it. But, the kiss ended, Tony joining him on the bed and back under the covers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucking himself up against him, Peter rubbed his nose against his chest. “No fair. Kissing me like that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was that bad?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m hot now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s soft chuckle made him smile. “I’ll take care of you again in the morning. We both need some sleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think we’ll be okay again tonight?” He asked, too tired to lift his head to look up at him. Instead, he pressed himself closer against his body, hoping he wasn’t hurting any of the bruises on his body. His own were already healing, which was nice. He only wished that the same could be said for Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think so.” Tony’s arm shifted around his body. “If not, it won’t be the end of the world. You’re here, I’m here. We’ll keep each other safe, one way or another.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really hate that I can’t sleep here all the time.” Peter whispered, his filter disappearing with his sleepiness steadily increasing. “I don’t like having this problem. I feel so much better when I sleep. I hate it, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate it too, Peter.” He pressed himself closer, and felt Tony hug him tight. “We’ll figure something out.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded his head. “I hope so, because as much as I love running on two hours of sleep a night, I really don’t. But that’s been my life for so long, if it stopped? I might not realize what’s happening and think that something was wrong.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that isn’t the case. You have my word, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, Tony.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stayed quiet for a few minutes, Peter listening to the steady beat of Tony’s heart. He was happy that his hands were no longer clammy against his body, and instead were warm and soft. He began to copy his breathing, and soon was drifting to sleep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweet dreams, Peter. I love you...” Tony kissed just below his ear, and held him a little closer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“L-Love you too, Tony.” He said, half asleep. The steady heartbeat underneath his ear was helping to lull him into slumber. He passed out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! :) Here's today's update! I'll be updating once a week for a little bit - I hope you all won't mind too much. :) Let's get back to this, shall we? Please enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Tony woke up in a position he didn’t remember falling asleep in, but was too tired to care at the moment. He expected to wake up with Peter in his arms, as that’s how they’d woken up on Friday morning, and had woken up together on Saturday and Sunday the previous weekend. But apparently, something must have happened during the night to change this, because Tony woke up with his face against Peter’s chest, and could feel his arms around his body in much the same fashion as he would be holding him. And really - it felt <em>nice</em> to be held like this, even if it was by someone much younger than himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You awake?” He heard Peter ask quietly, and then noticed that his fingers were gently combing through his short locks of hair. “I didn’t wake you up by touching your hair, did I?” The worry in Peter’s voice made Tony’s heart ache; he wasn’t supposed to be the one saying these things. That was <em>his</em> job. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking his head carefully to not disturb the fingers that were still combing through his hair, Tony yawned softly. “No, but I’m curious as to how I’m here like this right now.” He turned his head a little, and saw Peter looking at him with a smile on his face. “Morning, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Tony.” Just hearing him say his name had that ache disappearing as quickly as it had appeared in his chest from the worry he’d heard in Peter’s voice. “You were restless last night - I don’t think it was a nightmare because you didn’t wake up in a panic, but it was clear you were dreaming about something that wasn’t making you very happy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried to remember any of the dreams he had, but couldn’t. “I must have really been out.” He returned his cheek to Peter’s chest, and listened to the steady beat of his heart. “I’m not crushing you, am I?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not at all.” Peter’s nails began to scratch along his scalp, Tony humming low in approval. “You woke me up, and I tried to get you to wake up but you were too asleep.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happens.” He could remember many times that he’d been stuck in a deep sleep that it was almost impossible to get him to wake up for anything. “Still doesn’t explain this lovely position, though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A nervous laugh left Peter’s throat, which had Tony turning his head so that he could look up at him again. “I sort of pulled you into my arms, hoping that it would help. I wasn’t in your arms when you were stuck in your dream - I guess I moved? I don’t remember, but I know I woke up over here.” Peter looked down at where their bodies were now on the bed. “And as soon as I had you in my arms, you quieted down, and whatever had been bothering you was no longer an issue.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Lifting himself up, he pressed a quick kiss to Peter’s lips, then returned his head to his chest. “You really are my lifesaver, you know that right?” Tony whispered, putting his right arm around Peter’s waist, and tucking it underneath his back to hold him close. “That was very smart thinking.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I try.” Peter’s fingers traveled down to his neck, Tony pressing his face a little harder against his sternum. He could feel the pain from Thursday’s mishap still very clearly, his body aching in ways that he knew were going to be around for a bit. But that still didn’t stop him from untucking his arm from behind Peter’s back to let it slip down to his hip bone. “Eds, what are you doing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing at all, Ben. Why?” He let his hand move down to his thigh, very aware of how Peter was sporting some morning wood. “Friday - what time is it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A quarter after six.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus, it’s so early.” Tony groaned, shaking his head. “What time did we fall asleep last night?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Probably one?” The slight stutter let him know that Peter could feel how close his arm was to touching the tip of his cock. “Maybe one thirty? But still - that’s a good solid four hours. Almost five.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head, as his fingers started to casually touch Peter’s inner thigh. He felt him shift slightly, and then was able to go a little further up with his touches. “Did you sleep okay? I’m really sorry I woke you up.” He was - he hated knowing that he was having his own terrors, but was also thankful that Peter could fix him before they got super bad. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, really.” He felt Peter’s breath catch as his fingers were now precariously close to his cock. “I’m happy you didn’t wake up in a blind panic. I guess me sleeping with you is really helpful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like you wouldn’t believe, sweetheart.” Tony agreed, as his fingers found their prize. He let them ghost over Peter’s balls, and heard him moan softly. “I hope that one day I’ll be able to do the same for you.” He wasn’t ashamed to admit he liked how it felt waking up like this, being cuddled by his younger lover. It was a lot nicer than he expected it to be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Y-You’re teasing me too much, Tony…” Peter moaned softly, as Tony kept brushing his fingers along his balls. “A-Am I going to have to ask you to touch me…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I <em>am</em> touching you, Peter.” He reminded him, the tips of his fingers dipping underneath his sac to touch a little bit lower. “Why don’t you be a little more clear with your wants?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Y-Your hand on my c-cock.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just my hand?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, God.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony grinned as he slowly slipped underneath the covers, and brought his face down to Peter’s very pronounced morning wood. “Good morning.” He whispered to the tip of his cock, brushing a kiss right on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-Stop…” Peter’s soft whine made him chuckle low. “That’s so weird. Don’t talk to my dick that way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not?” Tony brushed another kiss against it, both happy that the sheet was over his head so he could spare Peter the embarrassment but was also sad because he could practically see how red Peter’s face was in his mind. He brought his mouth back to Peter’s cock and gave it another quick kiss. “It’s a very good morning right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toooony.” The whine increased in pitch, making him chuckle a little more. “Are you going to make me push the blanket away? Because I will.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He put his lips around the tip, and heard Peter inhale sharply, his lips curling up with a half-smirk as he gave a tiny little suck on the tip. “You know you like not being able to see me right now.” Tony brushed his lips along the side of his cock, feeling his own beginning to perk up as he listened to Peter’s whines turn to rich moans. “Tell me something dirty, sweetheart…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-P-Put your mouth….” He could hear his young lover struggling, but knew if he kept brushing his lips on his cock instead of doing what he knew he wanted, he might get an answer out of him. “Put my cock back in your mouth.” The words are rushed, but he at least was able to understand them, as he did as Peter told him to. He put his lips back around the tip, then pushed his lips down to the base with a deep groan. “Oh, <em>God</em>, Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Those were the cries that he loved to hear. He bobbed his head, the sheet lifting up each time he did so, but he never turned to look up at Peter. He was giving him some privacy, but was also getting thoroughly turned on by this. Slipping his mouth off with a soft <em>pop</em>, he resurfaced for air and saw that Peter’s face, neck and chest were flushed. He grabbed the lube, and saw Peter nod his head, the look in his eyes the same in his own. “You sure?” He asked, hating how his hands were starting to get cold again, as he began to worry that maybe he was pushing Peter too fast again. “We don’t have to, I can wait until-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony.” The whine had disappeared from Peter’s voice, and instead was replaced by the same confidence he’d heard last weekend when they’d jumped into this new facet to their relationship. “I want you inside of me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Moaning low, he nodded his head and poured some of the warming lube onto his cold hand. “You’re getting real good at telling me what you want without stuttering.” He smirked, as he carefully got his own cock ready. “Just a second ago you could barely tell me you wanted me to suck your cock.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t tease me….” Peter’s cheeks returned to a flushed state, Tony getting himself situated between Peter’s legs. He was surprised when he lifted one foot up and placed it on his shoulder. “T-This okay….?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know. You tell me.” He smirked, as he pushed the tip of his cock up against Peter’s loose hole. With the sex they’d had the night before, thankfully Peter’s super healing hadn’t completely closed him back up, which made it a lot easier to just do it like this. Maybe if they’d done this after breakfast it might have been a different story. “We’re going to have to put to test how long it takes your body to heal from our activities.” He murmured, thinking out loud as he put one arm around the leg that was now balanced against his shoulder. “You sure this isn’t going to hurt you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m good. Everything is good, Tony.” The smile on Peter’s face helped ease some of the panic that was still lingering in his mind. He couldn’t help it - new sex with Peter was always going to be a bit iffy. He’s the only partner he’s truly cared about their well-being in the bed, which he wasn’t sure made him an asshole or not. Or maybe he’d just been waiting for the right person to truly show this kind of attention to. “Hey - where’d you go?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A hand touched his face, drawing his attention back up to Peter. He gave him a weak smile. “You could tell?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A little.” Peter nodded his head. “Talk to me. What’s going on right now? Are you not hard? Did I turn you off by talking too much?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Oh, God, no. No, sweetheart.” Tony was very much still hard, as he showed to Peter by pushing the tip of his cock against his hole. “I’m very much aroused right now - I was just thinking about this.” He gave a little tug onto his leg, as he pushed a little more of his cock into him slowly. “You surprised me by wanting to do this, that’s all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bad surprise? Or good surprise?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked into Peter’s eyes, his smile growing. “Good surprise. I’m just - I’m not usually like this with my lovers. I know you won’t know that, and really - you don’t need to know that, but you - you’ve always been special, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You keep telling me that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pushed his hips forward a little more, watching as his cock slipped further into his body. “Is that a bad thing? Should I stop?” He turned his head, and gave Peter’s calf muscle a kiss, as he pushed himself all the way into his body. “There we go…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The deep moan that left Peter’s mouth let him know that his cock was in the best position possible for him right now. “D-Don’t stop….I love that….you tell me that…” Tony watched as Peter’s eyes closed, the expression changing on his face as he gave another small roll of his hips. Another low moan left Peter’s mouth, Tony taking pride in how he was able to make him feel good so fast. “God, your cock….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s all yours….” He held onto Peter’s leg, and slowly began to lean forward, pushing it back towards Peter’s shoulder. He knew that he was flexible, but this - this was more than he expected, especially this early in the morning. “You okay…?” He asked, his lips hovering above Peter’s, as his cock was now unbelievably deep inside of his body. “Y-You’re so tight, sweetheart…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“F-feels….so good…” A breathless moan touched his lips as Peter’s head dropped back down to the pillow. He rolled his hips again, dropping his head to kiss the side of his neck, letting his beard drag against the sensitive skin. He heard him moan at the contact, his own lust for Peter beginning to really bloom as he snapped his hips. “M-More, Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heeded that call. If Peter wanted more, he was going to give it to him as quickly as he could. As it was, he wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to last because the tightness was becoming unbearable to him. “Anything you want, baby….” He moaned against Peter’s lips, the leg that had been up on his shoulder now firmly wrapped around his waist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His hand snaked between their bodies, Tony wanting to be sure that Peter was going to have the same amount of pleasure as he was feeling right now. Every little snap of his hips, he listened to his moans become louder as his cock was buried into his tight warmth. He quickly made a fist around Peter’s cock, and felt him squeeze unbelievably tight around him, Tony dropping his head to the side of his neck with a deep moan. It was so difficult to not come right then and there, but he waited - he waited because he knew Peter was close, could feel how his inner walls were clinging to his cock. Peter’s breath stopped, and then the loud noise of his moan had Tony biting down instinctively at the base of his neck, wanting to give him that extra push into oblivion. Nails were soon dragging down his back, Tony’s hips stuttering through his own orgasm as his own muffled moan was drawn out of his throat by the unexpected rough touch from Peter. The pain mixing with the pleasure was his own aphrodisiac of choice, and God did Peter give it to him better than anyone else in his life has ever done so before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took him a good few seconds to remember how to breathe, his body on top of Peter’s, knowing that he wasn’t too heavy for him - he hoped. Carefully pulling his hips back, he released a soft groan as his cock slipped out of Peter, then gave him a soft kiss to keep their connection. Peter’s moan against his lips had him returning for another, and then another. “I love you so much, sweetheart…” He whispered against his lips, smiling as he heard Peter start to giggle, a result of that sweet sexual high. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Tony.” Peter looked up at him, the dopey smile on his face one that Tony would forever associate with these intimate moments that they shared. “Towel?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Towel.” He nodded, but then before he left, he brought his hand up to his own lips and began to lick some of the cum that had stayed on his fingers off. “Yep. You still taste so good.” He smirked, enjoying the deep blush that had appeared on Peter’s face. “Too much?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A l-l-little.” Tony laughed as he got up off the bed, and grabbed the towel from the night before off the floor. He was feeling much better than he had been yesterday, but he was still sore. He could feel the ache returning to his chest, as he sat back down on the bed, and carefully got Peter all cleaned up. “How’s your body doing?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you a mind reader?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Smirking, Tony dropped the towel after cleaning himself off and went and laid himself back in Peter’s arms, loving to be the one to cuddle him. It felt nice, and he had no idea why he didn’t think of doing it before. <em>Good job, subconscious</em>. “I was just thinking about how I’m sore, but not as bad as yesterday when you asked me that question.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Oh. That’s weird.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Weird because I’m still in pain? Thanks, Ben.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, that isn’t what I meant!” Tony couldn’t help but laugh at how Peter sounded. “You’re so mean to me, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You love me.” He pressed his face against Peter’s sternum, and felt his arm wrap around his shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do.” Peter tightened his arm around him, which had felt really nice. “If you’re feeling better, does that mean we’re going to go up to the compound?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If we go up there, there’s a good chance that I’m going to be stuck in the medical wing for a bit. They weren’t very happy when I left on Thursday.” Tony had taken the risk, knowing that his body was fine and really - all he had wanted to do was see Peter, which was probably the dumbest thing he could have done, but that was two days ago and made no difference now. “I’d rather we go when I have more mobility, but if you feel like training-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’m good to stay here all weekend.” He moaned softly as Peter’s fingers started to comb through his hair again. “I like spending time here with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He closed his eyes, and smiled. “Me too, Peter.” He knew he could have used his other name, but it felt nice to say it to the person who he was falling more and more in love with every day. “Now - since I’m still injured, does that mean you’re going to make me breakfast?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ahahah.” Peter’s laughter shook his entire body, which meant that Tony was bouncing up and down with it, which made him laugh with him. “You’re hilarious, Eds. I can make you burnt toast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you said you knew how to cook.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not breakfast things. Dinner, yes. I have time to do dinner things, but breakfast? I usually eat dry cereal, or make toast if I’ve got enough time.” Tony turned his head to look up at him, and saw Peter was looking over at the closed curtains. “I guess I could try?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can order breakfast.” Tony shook his head, lifting up his hand to brush some of the curls that had fallen on Peter’s forehead. “How about a traditional New York breakfast?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded his head. “That sounds really good. What are you thinking? Should we try L’Express? Have them bring it to us? Or is that place filled with bad memories?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hah.” He turned over, resting his head on Peter’s sternum. He grabbed his hand, and started to kiss his knuckles, keeping him close to his body. “No, it’s not a bad place. That night - that night was rough. For the both of us. But,” he tilted his head back to look up at Peter, “I’d say it worked out okay, wouldn’t you agree?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very much so.” Closing his eyes, Tony exhaled a soft groan as Peter gave him a quick kiss. “So, are we ordering from there, then? Or were you thinking something else?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was thinking Zabars.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s way too expensive, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, Ben?” He stared up at him, the smirk returning to his lips. “It might be expensive for you, but you do know who you’re sleeping with now, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An endearing blush appeared on Peter’s cheeks, as he turned his head away. “I’m not going to abuse that, Eds. I know you have money, and I have a little too. So, what? You get to pay for all of our meals? That’s shitty. I want to be able to buy you shit too. Although I have no idea what the hell I would get you because you already have so much money, that you can buy anything you want, and-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben.” Tony put his hand over Peter’s mouth, as the teen had begun to ramble. “Stop. Talking.” He looked into his eyes, and waited for him to nod his head before he removed his hand. “Okay. You can buy me anything you want. Even if it’s something I already have. I’ll love it no matter what, do you know why?” Peter shook his head. “Because it’s from <em>you</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter sunk down, Tony falling off of his body with the movement. He started to laugh as Peter grabbed the pillow and put it over his face. “You are going to make me die by embarrassment, aren’t you?” Peter took the pillow away, and looked down at him. “Please, I’m too young to die.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure about that?” He teased, as he returned his head to Peter’s chest. Only this time, he turned towards his navel, and began to blow raspberries on his stomach. The laughter that ensued had him laughing along with him. He waited for Peter to yell ‘Truce!’ before stopping, and then moved to lay by his side. He pulled Peter into his arms, and was about to say how much he loved him when Peter retaliated by blowing raspberries onto his chest, which made him laugh more. “Peter!!” Tony yelled, his voice full of mirth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You gotta say truce!” Peter looked up at him, the boyish smile on his face one that Tony could not get enough of as he returned his lips to his chest, and was blowing more raspberries against his ribcage. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony laughed, and held up both of his hands. “Truce, you ass!” Peter stopped, and rested his chin right near the scar on his chest where his reactor used to be. He reached down, pushing more of those pesky curls off of his forehead and smiled softly. “Hey.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi.” The shy smile on his face had Tony’s heart thumping hard in his chest. Peter turned his head, his lips gently touching the scar. It felt weird - it always felt weird when anything brushed against it. “Can you feel that?” Peter asked, as he kissed the scar again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can.” He nodded his head, more kisses touching his chest. “But it feels different than when you kiss anywhere else.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it’s not bad, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking his head, he waited for Peter to rest his chin back against his sternum, and then smiled. “Everything is good, sweetheart. It feels nice. Want to hear something about it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When I was having my nightmares,” Peter gave him a look. “Okay, okay - when I have my nightmares - is that better for you, Ben?” His lover nodded his head. “Whenever I have a nightmare when I’m in the suit, it’s the first thing I reach for. But when I have dreams about you? It’s hit or miss. Sometimes I just reach for it because it’s an automatic thing for me. It’s been how many years since I had it removed?” Tony sighs softly. “I’m glad it’s gone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It made you who you are, though.” Peter kissed a path up towards his neck, Tony moaning low with approval as their lips came together for a quick kiss. No tongue, because god forbid they do that before brushing their teeth. “You wouldn’t be the man you are today if that hadn’t happened. Which means we wouldn’t have met.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess you have a good point.” He pulled Peter’s face back towards his, and gave him another kiss on the lips. “What’s your go to reaction when you wake up in a blind panic?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My water bottle.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit, why didn’t you say something?” Tony looked over at the nightstand. “We should have one in here for you. You can do whatever you need-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” The look of exhaustion on Peter’s face made Tony realize just how bad they both need each other, and these few uninterrupted hours of sleep they keep managing to achieve when they sleep together. “I’ve thought about it. Last weekend, when I had my attack - I looked at our picture.” Tony looked over at the wall, and saw which item he was talking about. “That might be my new go to if I forget to bring one in here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He collected him in his arms, and held him close against his chest. “We’re going to figure out how to beat this insomnia together. You have my word.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, we know how to beat it.” Peter mumbled against his neck. “I just can’t do it until I graduate school.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And even then, you’re not going to college here, are you?” Tony asked, the warmth in his chest disappearing as he realized this was something he wasn’t really prepared to discuss right now. “You know what? Never mind. Let’s not talk about this now. It’s pointless.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The breath he heard Peter exhale let him know that Peter was feeling something similar. “Thanks, Eds. That’d be really great.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday - put in the usual order for Zabars, please. Add a box of black and white cookies, and a box of rugelach.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, boss.” There was a short pause. “It’ll be about thirty minutes before it’s delivered here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked up at him, and shook his head. “More cookies, Tony?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m injured.” He pointed to his chest, the bruises still a dark color. “If I want to buy more cookies, then I will. Plus, have you had their black and whites? They’re so good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could feel himself being judged more by Peter, but then he saw him grin. “You can get whatever you want. And I don’t think I have had any of their pastries before. Again - too rich for my blood.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it’s a good thing I’m here to shower you with lots of <em>expensive</em> food.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They looked at each other, and then Peter began to laugh again. “Fine. Whatever. Spend your money how you want. So, what’s your usual?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you, a New York breakfast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re eating lox, aren’t we?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guess we’ll find out when the delivery gets here.” Tony smirked, but it quickly disappeared as Peter sat up and began to stretch. “You’re gorgeous, you know that, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Am I?” Peter looked over his shoulder, and Tony knew that he knew he was attractive. “Only to your eyes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Those are the only eyes that matter, sweetheart.” He reached for Peter, and pulled him back into his arms. “Are you going to put our breakfast together?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday - how much longer until they get here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Twenty minutes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded his head. “Yeah, I can do that. Are they bringing us hot coffee?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They are.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Friday - what’s the weather like right now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony lifted an eyebrow as Peter got up off the bed, and pulled his boxers on. “It’s a balmy sixty-five degrees fahrenheit. There’s low clouds in the sky, which should burn off by midmorning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great.” Peter looked over at him. “Let’s eat breakfast on the balcony?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that can be arranged.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But only eat.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know I said I was like a teenager, but come on. Your ass is full of my cum right now. I know you probably want to shower.” Tony grinned, as he saw Peter make a disgusted face at him. “What?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have to be so graphic about it? And I thought you cleaned me up?” Peter reached behind him, and touched his ass. “Is it going to pour out of me??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, my God. Do you hear yourself right now?” Tony started to laugh, shaking his head. “No, sweetheart. It’s not going to just magically slip out of you. I mean, a little might-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A LITTLE?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pete!” He started to laugh again, and then held up his hands in defense as Peter jumped onto the bed and made as if to attack him. “I surrender!!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d better!” Peter kissed him on the lips, and then surprisingly began to push his tongue into his mouth. Tony instantly dropped his jaw with a deep moan, quickly touching his tongue to Peter’s, pulling him to sit on his lap as their kiss became a bit more passionate. “S-Stop…” Peter broke off the kiss just as Tony put his hands onto his ass. “I have to get our breakfast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve got time.” He put his lips back onto Peter’s, and carefully pushed his tongue back into his mouth, happy to feel him return the touches with his own tongue. “Come on, you never let me kiss you like this before you brush your teeth.” He kissed Peter’s neck just below his ear, savoring the moan that he made right into his ear. “Tell me why it’s different now, baby….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just…” With a quick turn of his head, Tony moaned as Peter’s teeth clacked against his, their tongues seeking each other out with sured, hurried strokes. “I want you…” Peter moaned against his lips, Tony’s hands grabbing more of his ass. “I wish they weren’t going to be here so soon…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony couldn’t agree more. “We’ll eat, then shower, and then play.” It made him happy to hear that Peter was interested in more sex. His own appetite was definitely hankering for some more fun, which again surprised him. He hadn’t had this much sex in a very long time, and it was making him feel good. Great, even. “What do you say, sweetheart?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that’s a good idea.” Peter nodded his head, then slipped off of his lap, but not before kissing him again with a little bit of tongue. “Come out when you’re ready?” Peter grabbed his shirt off the floor and put it back on, Tony hating that he had to watch him walk away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He got up from the bed and stretched, groaning as his body protested at the movement. He was definitely sore still from the fight two days ago, and standing up was more of a challenge than he’d like it to be. But at least he wasn’t laid up in the medical wing. That’s what he had to keep remembering as he picked up his briefs off the floor with a slight groan. He went to the bathroom and did his business, then headed out to the living room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They were early.” Peter said, as Tony caught him walking into the kitchen with two very full bags. “You got enough for us to eat tomorrow morning too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” Tony walked over to him, and pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck, loving the way he could see him shiver at the touch. “Excuse me.” He reached for one of the cups of coffee, and took the lid off. “Their coffee is better than most in the city. It’s not great, but it’s also not burnt like shitty Starbucks.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that why there isn’t a Starbucks in this building? Because you hate it??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony shrugged his shoulders, but wore a smirk on his lips. “You never heard that from me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I bet people hate that there isn’t a Starbucks.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They can’t - because I provide free barista coffee for them.” Tony leaned against the counter, and took another long sip of coffee. “But then again, they might hate me for other reasons, shitty free coffee being one of them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s laughter brought a smile to his lips. “Nice, Eds. I bet it’s a dream to work for you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Once you graduate, you’ll find that out for yourself.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“High school?? No way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I meant college, but glad to hear we’re on the same wavelength.” Tony reached over and ruffled Peter’s hair as he grabbed some of the lox and put it into the fridge. “I hope you like that stuff.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I haven’t had it enough to say yay or nay to it.” He appreciated his honesty. “You have a bagel slicer, don’t you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I look that lazy?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you really want me to answer that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Again, Tony couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on Peter’s face. “It’s in the drawer on the left.” He pointed to it. “And thanks, Ben. Real nice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just calling it like I see it, Eds.” Tony set his coffee down, and stepped behind Peter, wrapping his arms around his torso. “Tony, nooo….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony, yes.” He murmured, hugging him close to his body as he pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You can’t already be saying no to me, sweetheart. This is going to be a very long day if you’re already denying me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are seriously worse than a teenager.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you really going to complain about this right now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe.” Tony draped himself against Peter’s back. “Are you going to act like this towards me when I decide to be like this with you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rubbed his chin against Peter’s neck, loving the soft moans that were leaving his throat, and then felt him push back up against him. “I’m looking forward to the day when you’re comfortable enough to do this with me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I k-k-know. I w-w-want to be, Eds. I really d-do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Deciding it was time to tone it down, Tony pulled his hips away from Peter’s, and turned him around to give him a hug. He felt Peter cling to him, wincing a little as his head hit right on one of the worst bruises on his chest. But he didn’t make a sound, which was good. “I know, sweetheart. Everything is good, okay? If it’s bothering you, I won’t do it anymore. You know I like to tease you, and touch you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love it!” Peter looked up at him, his cheeks a little flushed. “I love this new side of you. It’s nice. Different. I’m just….I’m s-shy sometimes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” Tony lifted his hand, and began to stroke his thumb across his cheek. “Why don’t you grab some orange juice for yourself, and I’ll bring our breakfast out to the balcony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds good, Eds.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He put two bagels into his bagel slicer, and once they were done, he stuck them in the toaster to get a little bit of color on them. He always ordered sesame seed bagels from Zabar, because they were always so much nicer than the egg or plain bagel. Once they were toasted, he put some cream cheese on both sides, then put a generous heaping of lox on both sides. Grabbing one of the containers of potato salad that Peter had left on the counter, he put some onto each plate, then grabbed two plastic forks from the bag and stuck them in the salad. He walked out to the balcony and saw Peter was looking out at the clouds that the Manhattan skyline was currently obscured by. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Quite the view, huh?” He asked, happy to see that Peter had recognized he was coming - whether it was because of his footsteps or because of spider abilities, he had no idea. “I love days like this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s like we’re floating in the sky.” Peter’s voice was full of awe. “I know there's a building across the way, but I can’t see it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Tony set their plates down. “Be right back.” He went back inside to go get his coffee. He grabbed the other cup that had been delivered, and took both outside. “I hope you like sesame.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do. I usually prefer everything, but in a pinch this is good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smirk on his young lover’s face had Tony chuckling. “You’re quite sassy, you know that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me?” Peter blinked, then shook his head. Tony laughed more, shaking his head. “I love making you do that, you know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony reached for his plate and put it on his lap. “Do what?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Make you laugh. You don’t laugh that much when you’re in business mode.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smirked. “Business mode, huh?” Tony knew what Peter meant. “People don’t take me seriously if I have a smile on my face. So, only the privileged few get to see it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That would be correct.” He grinned, and took a bite of his bagel. “God, this is everything.” He closed his eyes, and chewed slow. “I forgot how good their lox was.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Haven’t had it in a while?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, like I said - I usually go and dine at restaurants.” Tony took another bite, and watched Peter hold his up to his face. “It’s not going to kill you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know. It might.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friday - have 911 on standby.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it, boss.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s shocked face had him laughing again. “Friday, cancel last request.” He saw Peter relax. “I was kidding, Ben. Don’t worry - I know you’re not going to die.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure? Maybe I have a fish allergy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you?” He looked over at Peter, hoping that that wasn’t the case, because he was already thinking about taking him to the pier tonight to have a nice romantic dinner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I love fish.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now it was his turn to exhale and relax. “Okay, good. You had me worried there for a second, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S-Sorry, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” He reached over, and patted his leg. “Go on, try it. If you don’t like it, I won’t be offended. You can pile it onto my bagel.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony watched as he took a bite, and then another, and then another. “It’s good!” Peter said, after chewing his food thoroughly. “Like, <em>really</em> good.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m happy to hear you say that, sweetheart.” Tony picked up his fork and started to eat some of his potato salad. “So, what did you want to do today? You sure you don’t mind hanging out all day with me? I was thinking, we could have Happy drive us somewhere for dinner tonight. I mean, if you’d want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will it be fancy? I don’t have fancy clothes with me, and I can’t exactly go back to my place without my Aunt questioning why I’m home.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Shit</em>. That was a very good point. “No, it doesn’t have to be fancy. Or, if it is, I can dress down too and we can both look like assholes.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want me to have another panic attack?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Point taken.” Tony shook his head. “Okay, nowhere fancy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think you could sit through a movie? Like, at a movie theater? Or is that going to hurt your bruises too much?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thought about it for a few minutes. “I guess I could probably handle it. But, you know - I’ve got all the latest movies here.” He pointed to his television. “But if you want to experience the theater, I wouldn’t say no to that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’ll be nice to go out and walk around.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d have to call me Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their eyes met. “R-Right. That always kind of sucks now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t call you kid.” Tony said softly. “I won’t make that mistake again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you won’t.” Peter smiled, then picked up the other half of his bagel. “Let’s finish eating, then shower?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good idea.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Tony?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His heart skipped a beat as he looked over at Peter. “Yeah?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Peter.” He smiled, happy to hear him say it so freely. “Now, stop talking and let me finish my breakfast.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Mr. Stark.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave him a look, and heard him laugh, which in turn made him laugh. He knew it was going to be a good day, if their morning was any indication of how things were going to go. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <span>Peter finished everything on his plate, and stole one of the rugelah’s off of Tony’s, finding that he really liked the sweet bread a lot. It was nice dining outside, although the city was still obscured by cloud coverage. It was days like today that Peter really liked going out as Spiderman, as the clouds provided coverage that normally would keep him out in the open, unable to use the element of surprise. There was this strong desire to go out and patrol, even though he was more than happy to be spending time with Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on, Ben?” He turned to look at his lover, who was giving him a knowing glance. “Your knee hasn’t stopped shaking for the past minute or so.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked down and saw that he was, in fact, bouncing his knee. “I was just thinking about how on days like this - with this cloud coverage - it’s nice to swing through the city. Not many people are aware I’m around, which is good for those that are trying to rob people, but bad for those that aren’t expecting a superhero to be flying through their neighborhood.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you asking if you can go and patrol? Because you can. You’re under no obligation to stay cooped up in this apartment with me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking his head, he got up from where he was sitting and moved to sit on Tony’s lap. If his lover said they were safe out here, he believed him. He wasn’t intending on doing anything sexual, but it did look curious with him sitting on his lap in such a familiar way that would be difficult to deny if a paparazzo got their picture. “No, I don’t want to. It was just an observation I had. I want to stay with you, Eds. We can go back inside and watch some television? Or, do you have work you need to catch up on? I can do some of my homework that I was just going to do when I woke up from not being able to sleep early on Monday morning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The company can survive another day without me. That’s why I have Pepper in the position that she’s in, so I don’t have to worry about that.” Tony’s arms snaked around his torso, Peter scooting forward to rest his head against his shoulder. “Besides, weren’t we talking about going to the theater? What movie is out now that we could go and see, that it won’t be a crowded theater?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That question made his eyebrow raise up. “Why does it matter if it’s a full theater or not? Are you suggesting we buy tickets to a movie that will have no audience members in it besides the two of us?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, I could very easily do that.” Peter stared at Tony, who shrugged his shoulders. “I could easily buy the theater out for the movie we want to see, and be the only ones in there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That would be awful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are the only person that thinks like that.” Tony pressed a kiss just below his ear, sending a slight shiver down his body. “That’s what I love so much about you, Peter. You’ve got such a good heart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it’s a big opening weekend, I would be pissed if I found out someone bought out the theater, and then only watched it with one another person.” He shook his head. “If you want to do that - fine, I can’t tell you no because it <em>does</em> sound kinda cool to experience that. But not a new release.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony picked up his phone off the end table. “Alright, how about this film?” Tony showed him a movie that was playing in a couple of hours at the theater right down the block from them. “Close enough that we can walk there without having to take the subway.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That works.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” He watched Tony type something into his phone, and then showed him the receipt. He shook his head, looking at the receipt that Tony had just purchased every single seat in the theater. How he did that, he really didn’t want to know because he knew Tony had to have hacked the system in order to do that. “We’re all set. Show is in two hours. That gives us plenty of time to shower and get ready.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are we going to shower together, or separate?” Peter asked, as he wiggled a little on Tony’s lap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The deep groan that left his lover’s throat had his heart picking up its pace in his chest. “That depends. What would you like to do?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If we shower together, that means we can have fun, but then that also means that we’ll be taking an extra long shower.” Resting his chin against Tony’s shoulder, he looked over to the west side and smiled. “But then, if we take it alone, then we’ll just be missing each other.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You act as if we’re going to be apart for hours. It’ll be twenty, maybe thirty minutes.” Tony teased him, Peter exhaling a soft sigh. “We won’t be apart that long.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t want to shower with me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t say that, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew he was being a little bit of a pain, but he was still a little too shy to say yes - he wanted to shower with him. But since Tony wasn’t taking the hint, or was making it so he was going to have to give him a solid answer, Peter sat up and looked into his eyes. “Let’s go shower in your bathroom. Together.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See? Was that so difficult?” The pleased smile on his lover’s face made Peter very aware of how happy his suggestion had made him. Plus, it was difficult not to notice the semi-hard cock that his own arousal was pushed up against. “I would love to take a shower with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sliding off of his lap, Peter grabbed their plates. “Go get it ready for us? I’ll clean up and put the stuff away.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish.” The words were whispered into his ear, Peter moaning softly as his eyes closed. The soft touch of Tony’s lips against his cheek as he passed by was enough to have heat start to spread throughout his body. It was the simplest trigger for him. This whole new facet to their relationship was still something he was getting used to. He really did think that maybe showering alone might have been a wiser idea, but the thought of getting to see Tony’s naked body again was something he really couldn’t pass up. <em>What am I turning into?</em> He shook the thought away as he walked into the penthouse and carried the plates to the sink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took him a few minutes to get everything sealed up and in the fridge and cabinet, and then he was walking towards the master bedroom, his heart rate beginning to pick up again as he heard the water running in the bathroom. Peter walked in and saw Tony was already in the shower, his back turned towards him, the pile of clothes on the floor in a perfect little dome. Peter tossed his shirt off, and then shimmied out of his pants, dropping them both on the floor near one another but not the same sort of organized chaos that Tony’s clothes had been in. He opened the shower stall and walked in, taking a few deep breaths before he molded himself against Tony’s back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I sure do love it when you join me in here like this.” Tony’s wet hand touched his forearm, as Peter kept his face pushed against the center of his shoulder blades. “May I turn around, sweetheart?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yes.” He nodded, keeping his eyes closed tight as he felt Tony start to turn towards him. The arms around him returned to a lower position on his body, as he felt his cheek touch Tony’s wet chest. He waited a few seconds for Tony to block the spray of the water, then looked up at him with a shy smile on his face. “Hi.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey yourself.” The smile on his face made his stomach roll pleasantly as he felt both his own cock grow a little fuller at the way Tony spoke to him. “Fancy meeting you in here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laughing, Peter shook his head. “Tony, come on.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, there it is.” Tony lowered his head, Peter’s eyes closing again as he felt his warm breath against his lips. “Every single time you say my real name, it does something to me.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-M-Me too….” Peter admitted, hating that his stutter was back. He was preparing himself to feel Tony’s cold hands, but all he felt was the water hitting his shoulder. “W-W-What should we do?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wash up? Normal shower things?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds so <em>boring</em>.” He teased, loving the laughter that was coming out of Tony due to his answer. “But really - yeah, we should do that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or, I could wash your hair for you? But then, my hands might wander and then we’ll have a problem on our hands.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter picked up the shampoo bottle, then poured some onto his palm. “How about I do that for you first.” How he managed to get that out without stuttering, he didn’t know. Tony raised an eyebrow up, but then began to turn around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that’s a good idea. I haven’t had someone wash my hair in a very long time.” Peter didn’t miss the softness that Tony’s voice had taken on as he started to lather up his hair. “Mmmm….that feels really nice, Peter…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was strange, being in this position with Tony as it wasn’t normally something he would think of doing. But since he was all about learning new things, he was happy for the opportunity. He lathered up his hair, scratching Tony’s scalp with his blunt fingernails, hoping that he wasn’t using too much pressure. He sometimes forgets his own strength, but judging from the soft groans that were leaving Tony’s mouth, he knew he was doing okay. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this nice?” He asked, his voice a little soft, afraid that if he spoke too loud he might startle Tony. He scratched his scalp more, remembering how that small act had helped calm him from the nightmare he’d begun to have earlier in the morning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Tony had started to thrash around in bed, his Spider senses had woken him up first before he’d had the chance to accidentally kick or hit him awake. Peter had tried to wake him up, but it wasn’t taking, so he did the next best thing. He put his hands on Tony’s hair, and had pulled him against his chest. He’d used more of his strength than he probably would normally have used because Tony was already in a position that was proving challenging for him. But Peter had gotten him situated against his body and had started to comb his fingers through his hair, gently scratching his scalp. That had settled him, and then Tony was snoring softly. It took him a while to relax, afraid that Tony would wake up in a blind panic that he had done the weekend before, but it never came, so he’d fallen back asleep while holding Tony in his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very much so.” Tony groaned softly, tilting his head back to give Peter a better angle to massage his scalp. “You could do that for another hour and I wouldn’t complain.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have I discovered Iron Man’s weakness?” Peter teased, as he finished massaging his scalp. “There. Go ahead and wash your hair off.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you want to know what my weakness is, all you have to do is look in a mirror, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The earnest answer brought a deep blush to Peter’s cheeks, his head tilting down as he didn’t know what to say to that comment. He knew that Tony cared for him, but to be his weakness? Was that a bad thing? Or a good thing? A little of both, maybe? He wasn’t sure what his own weakness was. Wanting to prove himself to the man in front of him was probably high up on that list, as he always wanted validation from him. But now that their relationship had changed, it wasn’t as bad as it was a few months ago. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My weakness is potato chips.” He commented, wondering what Tony would say to that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I tell you that you’re my weakness, and you tell me that Doritos are yours. Nice, Ben. Real nice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter laughed, knowing that Tony was just teasing him. “No, that’s not true. Honestly, I don't know what my weakness is.” He shook his head as he turned around so that Tony could wash his hair for him. “Maybe my love of sweet things? How I trust people too easily?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds about right.” Tony agreed with him, which again, made him both happy and sad. Happy that he could identify what his weakness was, and sad that he had such a weakness to begin with. “You’ll learn to be jaded soon enough. It’ll save you a whole lot of trouble if you could just turn that off now, but I understand. I used to see the good in people too, until I got burned too many times.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed, and nodded his head as best he could with Tony’s fingers continuing to massage his scalp. “I know it’s a weakness that could potentially kill me one day. Or get me seriously injured. And I don’t want that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Neither do I, Peter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was more a necessity, as Peter assessed what had been said, and how real this discussion became fairly quickly. “I think that I’ll get better about it. I know I need to keep my guard up. I wish the world was as nice as I think it is.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too, sweetheart.” A kiss to his shoulder let him know that Tony was finished. “Go ahead and rinse.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter stood still as Tony started to get him cleaned up, the process of getting clean after sex was something that he knew he shouldn’t be grossed out by, but it was difficult. He knew that as they did this more, he’d get used to it, but it was still weird to feel Tony clean him out. They finished washing up, and then Peter handed Tony a towel, then grabbed his own to dry off with. He picked up his clothes off the floor, then looked over his shoulder at Tony. “I’m going to go get ready in my room. Meet you back in the living room, and then we’ll walk to the movies?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect.” He started to walk away, but then stopped when he felt Tony grab onto his wrist and pull him back towards him. Lips touched his with a soft kiss. “Everything is good?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled, and nodded his head. “Everything is good.” He returned another kiss to his lips, then resumed his exit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter brushed his teeth and got deodorant on, then picked out a silly science pun shirt (‘Don’t be So NaCl’ - the periodic elements for Sodium and Chlorine) and then a pair of jeans. He put a pair of black socks on, then grabbed his black zipper hoodie and threw it on. Fixing his hair, he took one last look in the mirror at himself and then left the bedroom. He saw Tony sitting on the couch, wearing a Black Sabbath shirt and dark jeans, looking unbelievably handsome. Peter couldn’t help but swoon when he saw Tony look over at him with a smile on his face. </span>
  <span>“Love the shirt, sweetheart.” Tony grinned, and stood up from the couch. “You ready to head out?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am.” Peter picked up his shoes near the elevator and tied them on, the both of them wearing matching black and white low top Converse. “How’re you feeling, by the way? How’s your chest? It doesn’t hurt too much now, does it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just a lingering pain.” Tony grabbed his hand as they walked into the elevator together. “Nothing I’m not used to on a daily basis.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If this is an old joke….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not.” Peter tilted his head to the side as he felt Tony’s lips touch below his ear, and then kept kissing a path down to his collar. “It’s going to be difficult keeping my hands to myself this afternoon, Ben.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He closed his eyes, trying to keep the blush that wanted to appear on his cheeks at bay. “I wouldn’t say no to anything, Eds.” Peter wanted Tony to know that he was okay with doing whatever he was willing to do in public, which he hoped wasn’t going to be a lot. Not that they’d have the time, because the walk to the theater shouldn’t take very long. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll keep that in mind.” The words were whispered into his ear before Tony pulled away from him completely, as the elevator doors began to open revealing the lobby of the tower. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Walking out after him, he took longer strides to match pace with Tony, the security guard opening up the door for them with a greeting to Tony, who returned the greeting by name. It always impressed him that Tony knew everyone that worked in his building - sometimes he had trouble remembering his classmates names. As they went outside, the clouds were still around, the tops of the buildings hidden by them. “Guess it’s going to be cloudy all day, huh, Mr. Stark?” It felt weird to say that again, and the look that he got from Tony let him know that it was equally as strange for him to hear it. <em>I’m seventeen soon</em>. He had to remind himself that hopefully when that happened, things would change to how they were when they were alone, but then again - would Tony want the press to know he was with him like that? <em>Stop</em>. He didn’t want to spiral - not right now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It sure looks like it, B-Mr. Parker.” Peter <em>wished</em> that Tony would just call him Ben, as he loved hearing him say that. But it was okay - these moments were few and far between, which he had to accept because really, what else was he going to do? Tony threw his arm around his shoulder, much like he’d done when they’d gone on their walk through Central Park. “This okay?” The words were whispered into his ear, Tony’s minty breath sending a slight chill through his body. He gave a quick nod of his head as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets, afraid that if he left them out that he might touch Tony inappropriately by mistake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The walk to the theater was quick - fifteen minutes tops, and Peter hung back as Tony went and gave the woman his purchase, who stared at him like he’d grown three hands. Peter turned his head to hide the smile that was now on his face, the smug look on Tony’s equally as entertaining. He was sure the theater worker didn’t find any humor in it, but gave two tickets to him. Tony walked over to him, and handed him his ticket. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are we sitting?” He asked, keeping the ruse up as they walked to the door together. “I hope you got an aisle seat.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I got an aisle seat. Don’t worry.” Tony grinned, as he handed his ticket to the man at the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Theater six to the right.” The person didn’t even bother to look at Tony, which Peter could tell upset him, which only made him snicker under his breath. It was always fun to see when people noticed who Tony was, as he was very famous, but it seemed that this person had zero interest in anyone that was walking through the doors to the theater. Peter handed him his ticket and said the same exact thing, in the same exact bored voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know-” Tony started to say something, but Peter was quick to grab his arm and pull him inside. “Why’d you do that?” The incredulous look on his face made Peter chuckle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He doesn’t care about anything, Mr. Stark. Do you think he really wants to be here right now?” Peter heard him tell the next group that was coming a different theater and different direction in the same bored voice. “He probably had too much fun last night, and is hating life right now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good point.” They stood in the middle of the lobby. “Concessions? You want popcorn? Candy? Soda? Water? Me?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” He answered immediately, Tony looking directly at him with his yellow-tinted sunglasses still on. “Oh, I mean-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha ha, Mr. Parker.” The smirk on his lips was enough for Peter. “What’s your poison?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Large popcorn, no butter, but a decent amount of salt. If they’ve got Raisinettes, then get a box of those.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope. I refuse.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter groaned, used to people teasing him about liking chocolate covered raisins. “You’re such a baby. Fine - then an order of those chocolate cookie dough bites, and some sour patch kids. Oh, and a large Coke, no ice.” Peter looked at the concession stand, and saw that it was the kind where you could get your own soda. “No - make that a large Lime Coke.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s it. We’re done, Mr. Parker.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are so <em>mean</em>.” He saw the smile on Tony’s face, making his heart flutter as they were cautiously flirting with each other in the lobby. At least, he hoped it was flirting. Maybe Tony was just picking on him because he was an easy target. “Please?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, that’s better.” Tony handed him his ticket. “Looks like we’re in theater six. Go pick us a good seat, would you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know - it might be pretty crowded.” He gave it right back to him, as he saw Tony’s eyes narrow. “Might have to sit in the very first row.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You do that, I will literally dump the popcorn and soda I’m about to buy for you all over you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed, then started to walk away. “Thanks, Mr. Stark! You know that you don’t-” He grunted as he ran into someone. “Oh, I’m sorry!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Parker?” He stopped, as he saw Flash standing there, who had a weird look on his face. “What are you doing in Manhattan?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “F-Flash!” Peter tried not to panic, as he saw what one would call a school acquaintance standing there, looking like he was about to head into the theater to the right. “H-Hah, wow! What a coincidence! What are <em>you</em> doing in Manhattan?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He narrowed his eyes. “I asked you first.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Parker is here with me.” Tony appeared at his side, his arm casually thrown back over his shoulder. Peter tried not to panic. But the look of shock on Flash’s face was worth the unexpected appearance of Tony, who had probably heard Flash address him as the guy had no idea what an inside voice was. “Hi, Tony Stark.” He nodded his head towards Flash, then looked at Peter. “I’m assuming you know him?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Mr. Stark! It’s so great to meet you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked up at Tony and gave a nod of his head. “Y-Yeah, Flash goes to Midtown with me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re really close, Mr. Stark and-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, no touchy.” Tony backed away, pulling Peter with him. Flash still had his hand stretched out to shake hands with him. “Anyway, nice to meet you and all that mumbo jumbo. Mr. Parker? Mind helping me with these concessions?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, Mr. Stark.” He started to walk with him, then looked back at Flash, who was standing there with his jaw dropped down. “See you on Monday, Flash!” He gave a little wave, then kept his cool as they approached the concession stand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave their order to the worker who looked about as happy to be there as the guy that had taken their tickets. “So, you want to tell me about that guy?” Tony asked, as they went over to the area where Peter could put salt onto his tub of popcorn. “Because it sure didn’t seem like you guys are friends.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well - now he’s going to be insufferable because he met you. Or, he saw the two of us together.” Peter sighed, not at all looking forward to going to school on Monday. “He doesn’t call me by my name.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh? What does he call you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Penis Parker.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What a little fucking shit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shrugged his shoulders, then tucked his popcorn against his side. “He didn’t believe me that I had an internship with you. I guess this is kind of nice because now he can’t call me a liar since he saw you with me.” That was a little relief to him, even though it really shouldn’t be that big of a deal. “He’s just a stupid idiot that wishes he was as smart as me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t let that name bother you. I was called some pretty terrible things when I was in high school myself.” Tony handed him an empty soda cup, allowing him to get his own Lime Coke from the fancy fountain machine. “People used to call me Tone Deaf, and Ant-tard.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you don’t even go by Anthony.” Peter shook his head, as they walked to the theater where their movie was playing. Sure enough, the entire house was empty except for the two of them. “Where should we sit?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was thinking about the back row.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His heart sped up at the comment, knowing that the only reason why a person his age would pick the back row was to do something that maybe shouldn’t be done in the theater. “Y-Y-You s-sure you w-w-w-want to sit back there?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben - relax.” Just hearing Tony call him by that name was enough to do just as he asked him. It was amazing - even after that random run in with Flash, to have Tony just say ‘Ben’ was a mood lifter. “The back row allows us to see the entire screen. Get your head out of the gutter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Oh.” Now he just felt stupid for even thinking that Tony would want to do something like that with him in a public place like this. “I’m sorry. That was t-totally dumb, huh? Guess I’m just an idiot teenager, right, Eds?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my God.” He could hear Tony’s eyes rolling as he started to walk up the stairs to the top row. “You’re being ridiculous right now. I never said you were an idiot teenager.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to.” Peter mumbled, but followed him up the stairs to the back row. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sat in the middle, right under the projection room, the screen showing advertisements for local businesses in the area. Peter put the popcorn on his lap as he got himself situated in his seat. The armrest that they shared was lifted up, Tony looking at him as he did it. Peter nodded his head, happy that they were going to have a little bit more room next to one another, as he set his drink down in the cupholder on his right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not upset with me, are you, Ben?” Peter felt his stomach twist as he heard the concern in Tony’s voice. “Because I didn’t mean anything bad by what I said. You know that-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds.” He turned to look at him, and saw that the yellow-tinted sunglasses were gone, now hanging off the collar of his neck, allowing him to look into Tony’s eyes. “I know. You’re fine. I’m sorry - just, seeing Flash really rattled me. I didn’t think I’d run into anyone I knew here. I know that just because we’re sitting back here doesn’t mean we’re going to make-out, or touch each other, or anything like that. It was silly of me to think like that, but hello - I’m hormonal. What can I say?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony had a look in his eyes that Peter wasn’t quite sure what it meant. “I never said we weren’t going to do that. Because I could care less about the movie we’re seeing right now. I already have it at home. Remember - we’re here for this.” Tony pointed to the tub of popcorn, and then the box of chocolate chip cookie dough bites. “We’re also here because it gets us out of the apartment.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Right.” Suddenly the panic was returning, as he realized that maybe what he’d said was going to happen. “D-D-Do you want to do any of those things??” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I said yes, are you going to make it so that they happen?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now he recognized the look on Tony’s face, his own heart beginning to pound hard in his chest as he felt the knots in his stomach disappear. “Guess we’ll have to w-w-watch the movie and find out, huh?” The lights began to dim, the previews about to start. “Now, shhh. I want to see what’s playing soon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter reached into his tub of popcorn and grabbed a handful, debating on if he should move it to be between the two of them so that they could share, or just leave it on his lap. Another part of his mind was thinking about how he wished there was some way he could keep all of the popcorn in the tub, but make it so that Tony’s hand to go out through the bottom and touch his cock. <em>Hormones, you need to chill</em>. He took a deep breath, and tried to concentrate on the action that was happening on the screen, ignoring his lustful thoughts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The previews finished, and the main movie began to start. Peter couldn’t remember what they were about to watch, but really, he wasn’t paying any attention. All he was paying attention to was Tony - and how he could see him in peripheral vision, wondering if he was going to do anything to him, or if he was the one that was supposed to make the first move. Tony had drilled it into his head that he was the one in control, so much so that he tended to forget because he was always so nervous about it. But not today. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He put the tub of popcorn in the thin space between the two of them, and without a word sank down to his knees and got between Tony’s legs. He heard him groan in the softest voice, a loud explosion happening on the screen covering up the noise perfectly. Peter buried his face in Tony’s crotch, inhaling the scent of his musk through his jeans. It was faint, but it was there, and it was causing him to salivate. He rubbed his face back and forth, being careful to not accidentally hurt his balls in the process, as he’d once had that happen to him. That had <em>not</em> been a fun time at all, and the guy that had accidentally done it to him apologized over and over. Peter would <em>not</em> make the same mistake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Using his left hand, he carefully unzipped Tony’s pants during what sounded like another explosion, his mind ignoring the sounds of the movie in favor of trying to hear if his older lover would make a sound. His own cock was getting harder by the second as he reached into Tony’s briefs to pull out his cock into the open. He took a quick look around, just to make sure that the two of them were still alone, and then felt Tony’s hands touch his hair. He groaned softly as Tony guided his head to the tip of his cock, his lips now rubbing back and forth against the flushed head. Well, he hoped it was flush - he couldn’t see anything in the darkness, but that really didn’t matter. What did matter was that the fingers in his hair tightened their grip, and then he felt Tony push his head down, following his gesture by relaxing his throat to take more of his cock into his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt like it went on for only a few seconds, but Peter knew it was longer. His mouth was sliding up and down Tony’s cock, his own hand going to his pants to give some sort of relief to his cock that was pushing up so hard against his jeans it was almost painful. A quick squeeze took that pain away as he felt Tony place his other hand on his head, and soon gave up all control as he let Tony take over for him. It was easier than trying to guess what his lover wanted, and god - it was so fucking hot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s cock began to throb against the back of his tongue, Peter preparing himself to get that sweet liquid heat he knew was going to be shooting down his throat in a matter of seconds. He heard Tony stutter out his name with another soft groan, the only other noise he made as Peter had sucked him off. Cum began to pour down his throat, Peter swallowing instinctively, knowing that this was not the place to miss any drop. He felt Tony shudder, his hand holding onto his thigh. The fingers that were tangled in his hair slowly relaxed their grip, allowing Peter to return to his own pace of bobbing his head nice and slow up and down the length of Tony’s cock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He licked the tip, getting the last few drops of cum to touch his taste buds. “Peter….” Tony’s soft plea sent heat rushing through his body as he looked up at him. His jaw was sore, but he didn’t care - he would keep doing that if his lover had wanted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was that good?” Peter asked, as he got up off of his knees and wiped his mouth off. The tub of popcorn disappeared, Tony putting it on the seat next to him. He moaned into his lover’s mouth as Tony’s tongue invaded his mouth, Peter wrapping an arm around him as Tony’s aggressive strokes against his own tongue made him breathless. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have no idea how fucking good that was.” Tony murmured into his ear, Peter biting down hard on his lips to not release the lewd noise that was bubbling up in his throat. “You really took the bait, didn’t you? I’m so proud of you, Peter.” Again, the words were spoken into his ear, his heart hammering hard in his chest as he felt Tony’s hand palm his crotch. “Want me to take care of you? Or is that too much?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was such a tough question, because on one hand - Peter knew they were in public, and it was one thing to do it to him but another to have it done to himself. He wasn’t sure if he could stay quiet like Tony had, as he tended to forget about everything except what Tony did to his body. “I w-want you to, but I’m afraid I’ll make t-t-too much noise.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t.” Tony kissed him again, Peter groaning softly as his palm pushed up against his cock again, reminding him that it was there. “Hell, I’d even suggest you sit down on my lap, and you can put my cock into your ass.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That thought had his brain short-circuiting. Oral sex was easy to do in the theater, but that?? There was no way that Tony could do that. “L-L-Lube??” He asked, his whisper pitched a little higher than normal. “W-We can’t!! Have sex!! In here!!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I need to remind you that oral sex has the word ‘sex’ in it, Ben?” The teasing tone helped calm the mild panic that had suddenly hit him. “Because I’m pretty sure what you just did to me would qualify as oral <em>sex</em>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s soft laugh was timed with another explosion on the screen. “Put your drink on the floor, and stretch out on the seats.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then, do you want me to get on the floor for you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was happy that Tony wasn’t pushing him to do what he wanted, because he knew that he could if he wanted to, but it was terrifying. He didn’t trust himself to stay quiet. But oral - oral he could definitely keep his sounds controlled, more so than actual penetration sex. And the thought of Tony getting on his knees in the theater was really fucking arousing. Peter didn’t trust himself to speak, so he quickly nodded his head fast, and then saw Tony sink down to his knees and settle between his legs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His fingers itched to touch the top of Tony’s head, but instead he tucked them under his thighs, afraid of using too much strength by accident. He really hoped that Tony wasn’t exacerbating his injuries by kneeling on the hard floor like this. If it was a problem, Tony would tell him - he hoped. Warm breath touched his crotch, his legs spreading wide as he felt Tony nuzzle his cock in the same way he’d done to him only a little bit ago. Looking around, he kept making sure that no one had popped into their theater by accident, or snuck in to watch the film. They were, thankfully, still alone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony grabbed his wrists, and put both of his hands on top of his head. “Go ahead.” Tony looked up at him, as his hand undid the button on his jeans. “I know you want them there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“D-Do not.” He shook his head, but he didn’t move them away because Tony was absolutely right - he did want them to be on his head. The soft tufts of hair underneath his fingers felt so nice, contrasting to the heat that seemed to have no end as Tony breathed against his groin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are such a bad liar, Peter.” The words were spoken against the tip of his cock, as if Tony were using it as his own personal microphone. He moaned low as the first swipe of his tongue made heat pool in his lower stomach. “Remember - be quiet. No loud noises, sweetheart. No matter how good I suck your beautiful cock.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shoved his arm to be up against his mouth as Tony swallowed him down whole. He moved to the back of his seat, sinking against it as Tony’s mouth slowly moved from the base back up to the tip. He muffled his cries, timing it to another loud explosion on the screen. Whatever they’d decided to watch, he was glad it was an action film because it was really helping him to mask his own noises, although his arm was doing a damn good job of it for the moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His head hit the back of the seat as Tony’s fingers slipped down to massage his sac. The unexpected touch made him shake hard, his body feeling like it was on fire. Taking a few deep breaths, he dropped his arm in favor of putting his hand back on top of Tony’s head. Tony groaned low, the vibration tickling his cock in a way that drove him mad. Peter could feel himself getting closer to an orgasm, as Tony’s tongue began to swipe back and forth over the tip, lapping at the precum that was a constant dribble coming from his slit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grabbing onto his hair, Peter bit down hard on his lip as he tried to muffle a deep moan that was clawing to leave his throat. It stopped right at his teeth, Peter spilling his hot load down Tony’s throat. He saw the expression on his face change to one of pure elation as he began to suck harder on his cock, Peter all but whimpering as Tony made him soar high through his orgasm. His eyelids fell closed as he kept coming, the way Tony’s cheeks massaged his cock as he swallowed keeping him hovering in this blissful state for a few good minutes, and then he collapsed back against the chair with a long sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony released a soft grunt as he stood up, keeping his back bent as he returned to the seat next to him, Peter immediately falling against his shoulder. “Hi, baby.” Tony kissed his cheek, then his lips, the tang of his own cum still lingering on his lips. “Feeling good right now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm…” He nodded his head, still coming down from that intense orgasm. He hadn’t realized that Tony had tucked him back into his boxers, and his pants were back in their proper state. He felt Tony’s arm wrap around his waist, pulling him to be up against his side as he continued to take deep breaths, failing to return to earth after that mind numbing orgasm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A kiss to his temple had him lifting his head up, and saw Tony looking down at him. “First time doing that in a public place?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Peter tried not to blush, but he couldn’t help it. “That was….wow.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Again with your adorable vocabulary.” Tony teased him, the smile on his face one that Peter couldn’t help but mimic. “Want your popcorn?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yes, please.” He nodded his head, and felt the tub touch his thighs. “Tony, I-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you?” Peter smiled, and nodded his head again. “Me too, Peter. I love you too. Everything is good?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is good.” Grabbing a handful of popcorn,, well - he tried, his fingers weren’t really working very well still. It took a few tries, but then he got enough in the palm of his hand to start eating them, and then picked up his box of candy to mix the two together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had no idea what was happening in the movie, and as the credits rolled he turned to look at Tony, who still had his arm around him. “You said you had this movie at home?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do.” Tony pushed some of the hair that had fallen onto his forehead back. “Why? You interested in actually watching it, sweetheart?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter laughed. “Yeah, because I’m afraid if I don’t, and Flash asks me about what movie we saw, I’m going to look like a total idiot.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Gotta keep up appearances.” The lights started to come up in the theater. “What do you say we head back home and enjoy a quick snooze?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A nap sounds really nice.” He yawned at the mention of sleep, not realizing how tired he felt. “I’m used to coming and going to bed.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know.” Tony teased him, kissing the tip of his nose. “Come on. You can bring the popcorn home with you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll probably finish it on the way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even better.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was right - he did finish it by the time they got back to the tower. Peter tossed the empty tub in one of the many trash cans in the lobby, then got into Tony’s private elevator with him. As soon as they were alone, he pushed him up against the wall and kissed him hard on the mouth, moaning softly as he felt Tony put his arms around him, allowing him to keep him right there. But then, they switched places, Peter’s back hitting the side of the elevator with a soft <em>thunk</em>, and really - he couldn’t help but release a deep moan into Tony’s mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The elevator opened on the penthouse, and Peter watched Tony step away from him, but kept a firm hold on his wrist. “Bedroom.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B-Bedroom.” He agreed, the two of them struggling to get their shoes off by the elevator. Once they were off, they both practically ran to the bedroom, Peter laughing as he fell onto the bed, a trail of clothes marking the path that they’d taken to get there. But the laugh quickly turned to a moan as he felt Tony lay on top of him, his hands going to his shoulders to look up at him. “H-Hi… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.” Tony grinned, a kiss touching his lips. “You want to have some sex with me now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-Yes, please.” He nodded his head, staring up at him with love in his eyes. “Y-You’re not hurting, right? Your body isn’t too sore? I’m sorry I had you get on your knees in the theater, that was-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A finger touched his lips, his words dying in his mouth. “Don’t ever apologize for something I chose to do. You should be happy that we did something so scandalous in public.” The smirk on Tony’s face was pulling the heat back into the lower half of his body. “Because I gotta say - as far as public acts of sex goes, that’s only the beginning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, God.” Peter moaned as he felt the wet tip of Tony’s cock start to push up against his loosened hole. “Y-You’re serious, aren’t you? Is this what you meant by kinky sex?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Public sex is not kinky. It’s just a kink. And if that’s your attempt at trying to figure out what I’ve done in my past to correct my insomnia, it’s going to take you a lot more effort than that.” Tony’s lips brushed back and forth over his, Peter’s eyes closing as he felt the tip of his cock finally push into him. “Public sex is fun, isn’t it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was just oral.” He reminded him. “It’s not like we had sex in the back of an alley or something.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can do that, if you want.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His cock jumped at the comment, the idea sounding more appealing than it should. “N-Not yet.” He shook his head, then stopped in favor of tilting it backwards as more of Tony’s cock went into his body. “Hhhngh…..God, you feel so good….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My little sex fiend…” Tony’s beard scratched against the side of his neck as the words were spoken softly into his ear. Peter nodded his head as a soft wanton moan left his throat. “I’ll take care of that for you, baby…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-Please…” He wrapped one leg around Tony’s body, forcing him to lay more on top of him. “T-Take care of me, Tony….” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stopped talking in favor of focusing on the touches that they’d both wanted at the theater, but couldn’t allow themselves to chase after. But now that they were back home - back at Tony’s penthouse, it was easier to let himself go in a way that he had been aching to do all afternoon. Peter moaned for Tony as he felt his cock slide in and out of his body, stretching him in a way that felt so good that it brought tears to his eyes. The tears quickly went away as pleasure began to run rampant through his body. Each little roll of Tony’s hips had him gasping and moaning for more, then the firm touch of his hand against his own cock made Peter scream. His orgasm crashed over him, his body going numb from head to toe as he came hard. A few seconds later he felt Tony push deep inside of him, and then that wonderful rush of heat pushed through his body as he listened to Tony moan low as he came. It was absolutely perfect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Knowing that it would take effort for his lover to move, Peter waited for him to slip out of him, and then rolled off the bed. “Stay put.” He told Tony, as he began to walk to the bathroom, the little dribble seeping out of him difficult to ignore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, dear.” Tony had said, but there was no animosity in his words. Peter smiled as he got himself cleaned up in the bathroom, and then grabbed the washcloth they’d used the night before and ran it under the faucet. Returning to the bedroom, he sat beside Tony and began to clean him up carefully. “I’m really sorry you have to do this yourself right now.” The soft whisper broke Peter’s heart. He could see Tony blushing, as he took care to get him cleaned up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You haven’t done anything wrong.” Peter kissed him softly on the lips as he dried him off. “I know you’re hurt. It’s okay. I understand.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s frustrating for me.” He laid down next to Tony, finding a somewhat comfortable position on his shoulder. He didn’t want to touch the bruises that were turning a deeper shade of purple now on his upper chest, but he also wanted to be close to his lover. “I should have been more careful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said it yourself - you jump in first, and think about it after. We’ll train together. We’ll get better at trying to make that not happen.” He yawned, turning over on his side after leaving another kiss on Tony’s lips. “Everything is good, Tony.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is good, Peter.” Tony kissed the top of his head, Peter smiling softly as he felt his chest touch his back. “I love you, sweetheart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too.” He brought Tony’s hand up to his face and kissed the back of it, then closed his eyes. He sincerely hoped that neither of them had any nightmares during their late afternoon nap. With that on his mind, it didn’t take Peter very long to fall asleep, sinking down into his lover’s body with a smile on his face. </span>
</p>
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